The pharaoh's beloved
by magnolia11
Summary: Archaeologist Sakura Haruno's life goal had been to find the betrayed pharaoh Sas-suk's tomb. However, things take a turn for the worst when the pharaoh awakens from his slumber seeking vengeance.
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's note:-**_ edited ch.1

 _ **Disclaimer:-**_ I do not own Naruto.

* * *

The pharaoh's beloved

He awaits in endless slumber, oh, how cruel had the fates conspired to seize all that he loved,

She was his trinket,

Her beauty incomparable,

Her faith unwavering

Alas, how fortune turned the tides of happiness into sorrow,

Her vermilion blood lay'd cold

His heart ached, his fury raged

that treacherous day, those perfidious men if only time turned back its wheel

for when he returns, the land will break into mayhem.

* * *

The desert winds which swept over the group of archaeologist were as hot as flame and carried with them clouds of sand, which dried their throat and hurt their eyes though it was of little consequence to any of them as they had unearthed the year's biggest discovery.

Sakura felt overwhelmed as she and her fellow archaeologist unravelled the hidden tomb of the betrayed Pharaoh in the Nile city of Luxor dating back to 1400-1450 BC. All her life, she had dreamt of this moment and now that it's just in the palm of her hands, she couldn't help but be reminded of this long journey, the troubles she had undergone to compel the archaeological department to re-excavate the luxor site where earlier, two teams had been sent and came back empty-handed.

Though this was it, she had done it and reached the impossible by unravelling the tomb of the great pharaoh, Sas-suk who was rumoured to be one of the most powerful pharaoh's,ascending to the throne at the young age of 17, he was a force to be reckoned with. Many accounts and citings regarding his rule had said that it was one of the most glorious time of Egypt's prosperity. The young lord was wise beyond his years and had envisions far superior to those of his time. He had laid a plan for a channel to provide irrigation facilities to the most humid, arid areas of his land and had curbed to establish a barter system. His subjects were at peace with his rule as the kingdom prospered to new heights under his rule though it is rightfully said that the green eyed monster turns even an ally to a venomous enemy.

He was betrayed and conspired against by his own kin, Madara in the lust for the throne. He had known of the pharaoh's deep love for his beloved queen who was said to possess the beauty of nymphs and the grace of Aphrodite herself. She was a profound healer and had an extensive knowledge of herbs to cure several remedies.

Begrudgingly Sakura thought how Madara had murdered the pious lady in cold blood knowing that she carried a child to end Sas-suk's lineage and reign.

"Sakura, come the workers have opened the gate to the room where the pharaoh sleeps!" Ayame,her colleague happily chirped, holding Sakura by the shoulder and leading her to join the others.

How eerie, it was to find his tomb right under the heart of the Luxor site so away from Cairo where he ruled. What added even to eccentricity to this discovery was that his resting place was cited underground. Instead of a usual pyramid with a hidden chamber, this was so much more.

They had secured themselves with nylon ropes on their waist as they transcended the distance. It was like going down from a tunnel-dark and seemingly endless albeit filled with light at the end.

"Be careful, the Egyptians loved to protect their nirvana with traps." Sakura advised her colleagues, glancing sideways to make sure all of them were in a right tract.

As fun as unravelling hidden tombs, discovering new cities and unearthing gold statues were; it was embarked with a sense of dreaded danger.

Burglars often roamed out with heavy arms for gold findings, even pool of acids like mercury made decades ago by the Egyptians to protect their lands were dangerous. A careless simple mistake, a deliberate recklessness and all of them would lay in pits of their death.

At first when they landed on solid ground it was hard to even see anything but darkness in sight. However, as soon as they lighted the candles and lanterns, they were greeted with awestruck vision.

The enormous statues of three deities-Amun,Mut and Chons was present right in front of them. All of them stood 10 feet long. Heavy ornaments made of precious stones adorned them. The statue itself was made up of white limestone.

The walls were though made up of sun baked mud bricks and granite due to the scarcity of wood were in good condition-with minute run-downs here and there.

As they walked past the statues, a massive temple was located in between the triangular formed by the deities.

Dante touched the pier of the monument in an astounded manner, "Gold, the entire thing is made up of gold."

"Those guys were rich alright." Ayame blew a whistle impressed by the grade and sumptuous architecture.

 _They were so ahead of their time,_ Sakura thought, her heart fluttering at the marvellous exhibition.

She vividly noticed how the columns and the piers were covered with hieroglyphic and pictorial frescoes in brilliant colors.

As they walked on the stairs of the temple, a pylon gateway lead them into a peristyle courtyard. The inner structure was slightly dislodged. Inside there were small chambers-each of them locked.

Sakura ordered everyone to get to work, to open each chamber carefully without marring any of its aesthetic beauty.

The rooms were filled with motifs, earthen pots, copper and bronze coins, linen cloth and few ornaments.

At first a feeling of disappointment grew in her as each of the rooms weren't the ones which held his tomb. Her apple green eyes looked attentively at every corner, every edge of the monument to come upon some missed detail, some possible hint which could indicate where he rests.

 _Where are you,_ she closed her eyes and sighted.

She moved into one of the rooms with her torch in hand,looking at Uchiwa fans on the walls. Her eyes caught the glint of some light being reflected back by her torch in the front wall. Upon further inspection, she noticed that a mirror hung on the wall, it was covered with grit and dirt so it could have been unnoticeable.

Her gloved hands touched the surface of the mirror, a feeling of nausea presiding in her.

 _ **Come**_

 _ **Come**_

She blinked, retracting her hand, looking back to see that there was no one calling out to her. she laughed off her imaginative hearings contributed to her disarray and tiredness.

Narrowing her eyes at her reflection, she called out for Ayame to help her place the mirror on the ground. For some reason, she felt there was more to the empty room with just a mirror inside it.

Call it intuition or over-active imagination.

"It's heavy." Ayame complained.

Sakura rolled her eyes playfully at her friend but was soon gaping looking at a small tunnel in the wall.

Her throat suddenly felt dry, _could it be?_

Without so much as saying a word to her counterparts, she arched her body into the rectangular hole and crawled.

Coughing a little due to the dust particles in air, she blinked tears from her eyes and sprawled out of the compact face.

There he was, the one she had seeked all these years forever asleep in the tomb. Sakura took a deep breath relishing the feel on venturing towards the lord's resting place.

At first she couldn't see clearly, the hot air escaping from the chamber caused the candle flame to flicker, but presently, as her eyes grew accustomed to the lights, details of the room within emerged slowly from the mist, mystifying ornaments, statues, and gold –everywhere the glint of gold.

How immensely hard the tasks of cataloguing his resting place had been and joyous she felt when saw him lying just feet's away from her

Sas-suk's sarcophagus held not one but three coffins in which to hold the body of the king. The outer two coffins were crafted in wood and covered in gold along with many semiprecious stones, such as lapis lazuli and turquoise. The inner coffin, however, was made of solid gold.

She was so lost in this sight that she didn't notice the rest coming up after her.

"We did it, we did it, Sakura!" Ayame hugged her tightly.

Sakura smiled and started walking toward his sarcophagus, "come on"

Satisfaction swam in her veins as she traced his tomb, vividly looking at an Egyptian encryption that laid on it.

"What does it say?", Kaishi, the youngest of all asked her, eyes shining with curiosity of the unknown. The boy had always been interested in myths and ancient curses, so unlike her who didn't believe in those silly fables.

"It reads that if he is awakened from him slumber, he shall break havoc and lead this land to his mayhem to avenge the death of his beloved." Sakura smirked noticing how Kaishi tensed, god, he was too gullible.

Glancing her way to the encryptions, she was suddenly lost to everyone that peered at her as she raised the knife and sliced through the brittle dusk of dried linen.

Collective gasps and mummers resounded in the chamber.

Sakura was slightly aghast herself, she had though his body would have degraded more extensively but surprisingly, the damages weren't that bad.

His arms hold the crook and flail, symbols of the king's right to rule. The goddesses Nekhbet and Wadjet, inlaid with semiprecious stones, stretch their wings across his torso. Beneath these goddesses are two more—Isis and Nephthys—etched into the gold lid.

His face is covered with a mask of gold that Egyptian kings typically wore in that era and the rest of his body is covered with yellowed linen bandages.

She gazed at the emaciated form in front of her, it seemed she could detect an expression in those shrouded featured which seemed to be frozen with time; she could detect something of pain in those set of thin lips. He looks so beautiful in a tragic timeless sort of way...

She ordered the workers to extravert his body as gently as possibly while she and the others archaeologists rested and ate supper.

The sun was almost going down looking vermilion red as it set in the horizon. They would continue their work tomorrow and write a message to the department albeit with discretion, she had no patience to deal with noisy journalist and their myriads of questions that would cause a migraine.

They had put up a campsite and set lamps to light the place, they can't exactly leave the place. Burglars might come attracted to the findings of gold and cause this entire thing to become doldrum.

She happily sipped her vegetable stew as she chatted off with Ayame. The girl joyous nature was contagious and Sakura enjoyed their conversations bordering on giggles and teasings.

She stretched her arms, "Good, it's been such a long day!"

"Indeed though it's all been worth it." Ayame's smile took a mischievous look, "you finally found your paragon of perfection, the fascination of all your intrigues, too bad he could come alive from his coffin and strangle us all."

Sakura tried to scold but broke into laughter instead, indeed she has pretty much been intrigued by the betrayed pharaoh since her teen years when she had come across a book in library, "His woeful tale" that described how deeply Sas-suk had loved his queen and how agonized he had felt.

A sad king, he was. Losing his parents and brother at a young age in war and his wife by the treachery of his own kin. Madara had been his general and had conspired with other nobles to overthrow his rule, when Sas-suk was holding the body of his wife shedding tears of sorrow, Madara had taken adavange of his vulnerability and thrust his sword behind his back. What a coward, Sakura though angrily.

Sasuke had turned his head, his eyes blank as he whispered that death holds all that he loves, so he will combat the lord of death, Seti himself and once he awakes, all will perish...

Breaking from her thoughts Sakura looked at the lonesome moon, it was not accompanied by any stars tonight and the atmosphere had become a lot windy suddenly.

"Let's crash now; we have to wake up early." Ayame said. Sakura nodded and went inside the camp she shared with her bubbly friend.

Sleep had come soon as she realised how all her muscles ached and body desired to rest.

"Ahhhh, Wahhh no hel-help" Sakura and Ayame woke up by the painful sound of the scream. It sounded like Kaishi, could some burglars have come?

Ayame took a rifle in her hand as both of them came out of the campsite. The others had woken up at the sound of his scream and all of them were outside but Kaishi was nowhere in sight.

Sakura's mouth opened in a silent scream as she saw Kaishi walk out of the chamber where the tomb laid, blood covered his face and his left arm was maimed. His body suddenly turned to ashes in front of them.

Was this some kind of sick joke, Sakura though as she shivered and held the crying Ayame. It was all to unbelievable. It made absolutely no sense but all of them were filled with fear.

Fear of the unknown, fear for what's about to come.

Adrenaline was pumping into their veins, their breaths going faster as their minds tried to conjure up some sort of explanation.

 _Run away, run away from here,_ her ears were ringing with these screams and yet her feet were unwilling.

The others moved to run away but the land started shaking heavily as if an earthquake of a large magnitude had suddenly come to force.

The tremors were big and each one of them was wailing, the sands were spiralling around them choking their throats as the air turned ominous and dreadingly cold.

Sakura's arm separated from Ayame's as they cried out. She felt as if someone was pushing her down, some unknown force to fall on her knees. She couldn't move, oh god, what is happening? This cant surely be the end right...please...

Tears leaked out of her emerald eyes messily as her lower lip quivered, she couldn't even cry out for help. The others were in the same position as her, on their knees wailing and bewildered.

Her teary eyes widened in horror as she saw the mummified pharaoh come out of the chamber, how could it be? No this has to be a dream. Please wake up, she willed herself to no avail.

He stood there wearing his golden mask and covered by those yellowed linen bandages. His body was fully recovered, fully covered in flesh as if he hadn't been rotting away all these years. He was walking towards them as the sandy wind blew beneath his feet.

With each step he took, her body ached horribly it felt as if someone was crushing her like a ragged doll. She closed her eyes, when she suddenly heard her professor scream as blood poured from his body. He's going to kill them all...

She felt most of her life drain from herself as she watched the light in Ayame's eyes fade in front on her. This was all her fault, if only she hadn't persisted to find this wretched tomb but now everything is for naught. She must accept her fate.

When he came stepped near her, she had closed her eyes as she waited him to deliver her impending death.

Tears furiously leaked her eyes as she aghast when she felt his fingers on her cheek, holding her face. She opened her eyes blinking away the tears taking a look at the pharaoh that destroyed all life before him. He had removed his mask. He looked youthful, his skin the color of ivory. His eyes were deep onyx and his hair the hue of raven. He was so beautiful like an angel of darkness and very fittingly, he had come to embark her on a journey of demise.

"Just do it." She whispered, just kill me.

"How long have I waited for you, my love." He captured her lips in a longing kiss.

* * *

Nekhbet - Vulture

Wadjet - Cobra

Isis - goddess of magic and wisdom who symbolizes birth

Nephthys- protective goddess who symbolizes death


	2. Chapter 2

_**Author's note:-**_ hey guys! I am so sorry for taking so much time to update, I have a really important exam coming up so please bear with me for two months! after this, the updates will definitely be more regular!

If you have the time, **please review**! It really encourages me and brings a smile to my face.

 _ **Disclaimer:-**_ I do not own Naruto.

* * *

 **Chapter-2**

 **The story of the two that were separated**

 **Begins anew**

 **From ashes, a new fire shall rise**

 **From darkness, a new light will emerge**

 **Renewed shall be the bond that was once broken.**

* * *

 _Apathetic; that was the one word to enunciate his aristocratic features which deemed frozen virtually. No hint of human finesse could be associated with the blatant majestic grace he was accustomed to. Sparing no glance to his counterpart as if the members of the council were all but well articulated puppets, he announced his verdict ascertaining once and for all that his position could not be questioned. The member of the council kept trying to persuade him to take a wife and now that he agreed, albeit with a condition that the she must be able to answer three questions by him; they had tried to contemplate him against this decision not that he paid it any heed._

 _He as the patriarch to one of the most powerful noble clans was taught from a young age to be worldly wise in all arenas discerning politically or socially. A ruthless conqueror yet a kind ruler to his people, many did not understand him. After all, by overcoming the regrettable tragedy of the death of the main family of the Uchiha clan in war and handling the burden of being the next successor of his father's legacy at the tender age of seventeen, a prince unprepared to become king was born but he sought to seize all his might and vanquished all qualms of his jurisdiction._

" _King Hornakht with his daughter_ , _lady Ahmose Nefertari of Qimudet,princess of the land of mercenary." The announced their arrival in the courtroom. The courtesans stood up to greet the king as they silently mused whether their lord would finally pick his bride. Qimudet,afterall was a very rich land with a vast culture-ties with them would surely ensure expansion of territory along with a generous flow of revenue._

" _Lord Sas-saku,I present to you my daughter, Ahmose. A beauty with an extensive knowledge of herbs and a humble devotee of God Ra. She will fit in as the role of your wife indeniably."_

" _Then allow me to put her to a test." Sas-suk nonchalantly said, cold eyes assessing the young girl. "You must be aware about the discretions I laid about the prospect of my matriarch, I shall ask three questions and if she answers it correctly then I will take her as my wife."_

 _The king nodded albeit a little surprised by his demands. He had rumours that a total of fifteen candidates had already been rejected but had not thought that the notion for the reason behind it would be the young lord's conditioned questions._

" _Tell me, princess of Qimudet what is it that's always in front but we fail to see it?"_

 _Her eyes flickered back in forth, a perplexed expression falling into her visage as her hands toyed with the fabric of her garment, what could it be...?_

" _I believe we are done here." Sas-suk raised one hand in elegant dismissal of her musings._

 _The king of Qimutet busted into angry inceptions, "These questions, what barbarism! You have no desires for a wife, who could answer such nugatory inquiries?"_

 _Sas-suk threw a glance at his soldiers raising his hand for them to assist the duo away from his court._

" _My lord, forgive me for this but it seems no one will be able to answer those questions,none have been able to even tell one of the three forget all. Isn't it better to do away with this and adjoin in a marriage with a princess of high means?" Vajebt, one of the ministers from the chamber of council asked with concern._

" _There is no lack of revenue in the land and the flow of funds have been acceptable, so what need do I have for a wife that comes with enormous dowry?" He sipped wine from a gold cup taking note of its rich aroma and hue. "I desire someone who's eloquent, someone who could partake with me and has a mind of her own."_

 _What he desired was a companion filled with love and sharp wit, someone who would be equally fulfilling in her role as the queen of Cairo like his mother had. Perhaps a foolish though but he wants to harbour the same affection in his heart for his wife that his parents had with eachother. Afterall even a man in the most prestigious position and weaved with belief of duty above all needs someone to turn to._

 _Surely in this vast land there must be a princess worth being his companion. However, he needed to find her soon for the course of time seemed to be running on a fluid pace while his 19_ _th_ _birthday arrived in a month. He had already pushed with marriage for four years against the constant aggravation of his council who slowly grew restless as the elders demanded for a heir. It was only acceptable after all he was the only one left that descended from the main branch of the Uchiha clan, the lineage must continue..._

 _His thoughts were cut-off by his guard announcing the arrival of another princess. If only this one wouldn't be quick to disappoint._

" _Pharaoh Akhenaten and lady Kura-ankh from Aswan, the land of the deities have arrived."_

 _Sas-suk lifted his head to see the princess. She walked with steady stripes, her posture straight fitting for a queen indeed. She possessed eyes that would put the priciest emeralds to shame and had the most exotic, mystique and sumptuous hair he had ever seen on a person, a cherry blossom pink. The woman looked like the personification of spring itself and had he been a man who valued aesthetics foremost, he would have married her without a second thought._

 _She was dressed in royal Egyptian garb with a gold crown on her head and an expensive gorgerine bracelet on her wrist made of red rubies and gold plates. More ornaments adored her on her arms and anklet complementing her beauty and the fine linen white dress that she wore with the upper piece stopping just below her chest to expose a creamy tantalizing skin of her waist; the lower piece continuing as a long skirt._

 _Both of them bowed to Sas-suk in greeting which he returned with a nod._

" _Three questions, if the princess answers each of them fittingly, I will take her hand in marriage."_

 _Onyx eyes met emerald for the first time as he wondered whether the face inside the veil would be just as lovely_

" _What is it that's in front of us but we fail to see it?"_

" _A path; a path is always in front of us in times of turbulence but we often fail to see it, giving in to failure."_

 _A smile graced his thin pale lips, finally..._

 _Everyone in the courtroom held their breaths. A few heads with had mused that this session would be yet another futile attempt watched the princess with something akin to renewed interest and awe in their eyes._

" _What's the biggest gift bestowed upon us?"_

" _Knowledge, without knowledge and wisdom life is but in vain"._

 _He stood from his throne, ascending down the stairs gracefully and reached her side till she was but an arm length away._

" _What's feared the most and tried to be obstructed but remains inevitable."_

" _Death, in the end fool and wise; king and pauper would meet their end."_

 _He clasped her hand in his, guiding her towards throne as both of them faced his courtesans. A certain stillness and silence echoed in the vast room._

" _I, pharaoh of Cairo, declare, Kura-ankh the 17_ _th_ _matriarch of the Uchiha clan and the queen of land of kings." He edged his palm in an upward motion._

" _Rise and greet your queen."_

 _All at once, everyone present in the room-the warriors, the guards, the courtesans and the council members bowed their head._

 _Kura-ankh gasped, it was all so sudden._

 _Pressing her lips covered behind the veil, she gently trailed her eyes to the pharaoh as he smiled in a gentle fashion at her, his onyx eyes showing her warmth and promises._

* * *

Sakura fluttered her eyelashes in annoyance as the sunlight hit her face, stretching slightly she got up in a sitting position clutching her head.

God, what was that dream? Such obscurity...but it had terrified her to her bones.

Her fingers ran a hand though her hair when suddenly she felt a certain heaviness in her wrist, taking a look at it, her eyes widened when she saw that it was clutched with a bracelet, a bracelet made up of gold taking a form of two snakes grazed parallel to each other, each sporting a ruby red eye with a uchiwa fan in between.

Suddenly the painful realization that she wasn't on the campsite, sleeping inside her tent made clear. She got up from the mattresses in a hurry taking a look at her surroundings.

She was in the chamber, the very chamber from where she had found his tomb and committed the mistake of opening his coffin...

It was all due to her, her entire fucking fault. Her friends, companions lay in the pool of their blood solely due to her. Hot continuous tears flooded her eyes as her vision became foggy. All of this was so unbelievable but alas, so true.

She didn't know how many minutes she stood their blankly, tears sweeping through her eyes until the realization that he, the wretched pharaoh had left her alive...that he had kissed her...it was bizarre, everything was bizarre and absurd.

 _I can't waste anymore time now, he could break havoc on this land...kill people, so many innocent lives._ determination set into eyes, _I must inform about this. Obscure as it is, no more lives can lost due to me...I must do something, for Ayame and Kaishi._

She started dashing towards the exit when suddenly the gate closed; a wall out of nowhere seemed to be lowering down on it. She felt her heart beat almost stop when she left someone behind her. The air felt thick again, not as intense it had the night before but still prevailing.

Clutching her fingers till her knuckles were almost white, she willed herself to face back.

A gasp left her mouth, she can't get used to this. She can't get used to someone whose suppose to be rotting away look so ethereal.

His body was no longer covered in bandages, he was wearing a shenti,with blue-lapiz resting on its collar. She vividly noticed that his arched eyebrows were enhanced with kohl adding a rugged feel to his looks. He also sported a head-dress featuring the Uraeus,the cobra in position to strike with its hood open. He was so beautiful and yet so deadly, mystifying like a dream but terrifying to the core.

She noticed that just in arms length to her there were heavy cases of ornaments and just behind it was a rifle, one of them must have forgotten about it yesterday. _If I'm gonna die, then I might as well go down with a fight._ Picking one of cases, she threw it at him, three or four at one go. She clenched her teeth and fired at him, drawing all the bullets at him.

"Die..just die" she wailed, her grip on the rifle shaking as she dropped it when he started pacing towards her, he was bleeding profusely but yet there was no change in his demeanour, no cry or strangle, anything akin to pain displaying on his features.

With every step he took near her, she took one backwards until her back hit the wall and she had no escape.

"This blatant lack of judgement from your side will be forgiven," his baritone was deep and had an Egyptian flair to it. The fact that he shouldn't know English at all just played into her mind. But then again what of it makes sense?

"When I made them meet their fate, I transpired their experience, the language, the happenings of this time." He answered her unasked question. His fingers trailed her cheeks gently, "This world has lost its way and the people have become disillusioned. They seek power but can't comprehend it."

"And you can?" Sakura found her voice back; she gasped his hand and removed it from her face. "Through what, by killing and maiming? Your desire for revenge will not make you whole again, it will not bring back what you lost." she shouted, anger and disgust swimming in her veins.

"Enough, do not test me." He willed himself to control his temper, she after all does not remember anything of her past life.

"What's the difference between you and Madara? You killed innocents too and talk about justice, how misguided you are." her last sentence turned into a whisper as a sense of dismay took over her.

Sas-suk raised his arm and threw his fist at the wall. His eyes turning red as three black hued tomoe's set in, one look at those compelling eyes and Sakura lost her consciousness falling limp into his arms.

"Such disobedience" he murmured as he held her in his arms, taking her scent deep into his lungs. "You are definitely more spirited now."

The tomoe surrounding the edge of his pupils easily turned to blades.

Mangekyo Sharingan.

In a flash, he transported them into a new dimension.

* * *

 _Shenti- Tunic that reaches to the knees;it was typically worn by Egyptian men._

 _Uraeus- Cobra, symbol of authority and royalty._


	3. Chapter 3

_**Author's note:-**_ Hey guys! this is earlier than expected to be honest but my revision for my exam is going good and so, I thought it wouldn't hurt to write a bit. The chapter isn't lengthy like usual but trust me for now this is the best I can manage. Also I had noticed that I had made a lot of typos in the previous chapter so sorry about that and thank you for bearing with me and giving this story a chance! For this chapter,I had used help from wikipedia for certain things like description of the palace and all.

 **Of course, it you have the time,please review.**

 _ **Disclaimer:-**_ I do not own Naruto.

* * *

 **Chapter-3**

* * *

 **Taken from her realm into a new world**

 **on the pretext of a crownless king.**

 **Defiance spurt into her veins**

 **ceasing to heed to the qualms of her heart**

 **berates the one who hold the cards.**

Mounts of sand flew in a whirlpool with each step he took towards the palace of Ras El Tin alongwith the cherry blossomed hair girl unconscious and very still in his arms.

Ras El Tin was a grand and sumptuous palace on a foundation of 17,000 square feet surrounded by elaborate gardens of twelve feddans. Fig trees were laid on a periphery of the palace site, inspiring its name. A narrow and long pathway made up of agate led the way to its massive doorway which was christened with an enormous Uchiwa fan. It was this place where his people would go to host their intricate family meetings, something which ceased to be manoeuvred when the main family passed away. The land and path to reach it was only ever meant to be known by the heads of the clan and few trusted allies, even then one could not reach it without the might of the evolved stage of the sharingan.

Just as he reached the doorway, it opened on its known as if welcoming its master.

A leopard's hide laid on the floor right at a few steps to the entrance and the potraits of his ancestors starting from the pioneer of the Uchiha rule to its culmination were adorned on the walls that glint of precious stones. It led to a main hall room where there was a lengthy dining table with candles lighted illuminating the feasts that were banqueted on it. Several fruits laid in copper bowl, water stored in pilgrim bottle and the cuisines characterized such as ful medames,mashed fava beans;kushari,a mixture of lentils; molokhiya,spiced okra sided with sweetened honey bread. Nothing had changed, afterall the house was impervious to time and everything-from the decorations, to the walls, to the number of chambers in the palace or even the food that laid on the banquet could be willed and changed as desired by an Uchiha lord.

Walking towards the bedroom, he gently laid her on bed. Affectionately pulling the strands of her hair to push it behind her ear, he dropped a butterfly kiss on her forehead. A momentary memory from the past flickered in his head.

" _My forehead is too large." Kura-ankh pouted, looking disapprovingly in the mirror, accentuating the size by flexing her forefinger and thumb in front of it._

 _He rested on his stomach pressed to the bed, propping an elbow to his jaw for support as he watched her, seemingly amused by her childish antics. She had an innocence of a lamb to her and the predator in him was entranced with every move._

" _You could not be anymore ethereal, my love." His eyes lovingly traced the attributes of her beauty. "Even given with that slightly abnormal forehead", he teasingly finished unable to help himself._

 _Sakura gasped, "Y-You, my lord" an embarrassed blush lighted up her cheeks._

 _He chuckled at her reaction, reaching out his arm as he pulled her to him and in a flash of quick movements she was sprawled beneath him with his hands holding her wrists. He lowered himself till their noses were just centimetres apart from each other, his pale lips tracing her's, teasing her._

" _You vex me..." she breathed out, caught up in a myriad of sensations as warmth pooled up in her belly._

" _It is only fair since you tempt me with each breath you take." He whispered pulling her into a heated kiss._

Discontinuing the train of his memories, he got up and strode out of the room with purpose, imposing one last look to the woman that slept peacefully on the bed.

"I would never let you part from me again."

He pranced with definite steps towards the inner room of the palace. Sculptures of over thousand warriors were standing with khosheps arched on their hand. Looking at the room, he noticed the golden cascade at once that was filled with perennial water from the Nile. He took out his dagger and slashed his palm. He unflinchingly watched as blood dripped down from his palm mixing with the water.

"SaHHa,muwalin raqiq"

"SaHHa, muwalin raqiq"

"SaHHa, muwalin raqiq"

His mangekyo sharingan activated, a trail of blood sweeping out from his left eye.

"ana,wasiyya antum ila sahha"

Within the instance he whispered these words; the sculptures of the soldiers broke up in magnitude of minuscule pieces. Haggard and wailing sounds were heard. Rubbing his bleeding left eye with the back of his hand, Sas-suk watch satisfied as each person from his army resurrected.

Hues of several hollowed eyes watched their master as one by one each of them kneeled acknowledging his presence. They were not alive but merely tools of their former selves. Puppets that could be controlled as per his will. It was their strength he needed afterall, not their feelings

"My men, the time has come for us to reclaim this world. Sough all your might, very soon we will espionage and once, again the Uchiha name will be re-established and revived." He spoke domineeringly, fire reigning in his voice.

"No casualties, No mercy, No remorse for perpetrators."

Every warrior stalled his koshep beating the edge of it on the floor; howling stream of agreements resounded in the room.

"I will call upon you very soon, be prepared for war." A single flick of his fingers and they all vanished into the air as heaps of sand fluttered in array.

 _She must be awake by now._ In a flash he transported to the chamber where he had rested her.

"You didn't try to escape." Sas-suk said more to himself than her.

Sakura looked at him as if she was expecting him to emerge out of thin air. "You would have caught me. Besides, what chances do I have to make an escape in a area which is a mystery to me and known to you?"

She stood up from the bed, determined orbs staring straight into his.

"What do you want from me?"

"Everything" He breathed easily, unappeased by the daunting expression that highlighted her face.

She frustratingly ran a hand to her hair, he kept speaking in a roundabout way, successfully confusing and irritating her.

"That doesn't explain anything." Her voice broke out midway helplessly.

"Then let me to remind you just who I am." His arm gripped her hand pulling her close as he reinforced past memories into her.

 _A woman with long pink mane waited in the vast garden adorned with variety of blooming flowers. A rectangular pond was in the middle adding to the charm of the inner palace. It was filled with colourful fishes, lotus flowers blossoming in the water with a periphery of tulips around the edges. Around the pond were successive rows of trees including sycamores, palms and grenadiers. The edges of the water basins were sloping with a stairway down one side so gardeners could collect water for irrigation. A patch of land was specifically nurtured with medicinal herbs and spices such as cumin, anise and marjoram._

 _An eluded smile graced her lips when she saw her lord return, unable to contain herself, she broke into a run as she threw her arms around his neck._

" _You seem very eager today." He held her waist as he muttered, dropping a kiss on the nape of her neck._

" _The news is such that fails to be said with much discretion and conduit."_

 _He raised his eyebrows perplexed by her choice of words._

" _Goddess Taweret has blessed us, my lord." His eyes widened, unconsciously trailing on her abdomen. He pressed his forehead against her, his left hand caressing her belly in a gentle fashion as he professed how much he loved her._

Sakura blinked. _What was that? That woman, she- she looked just like her albeit with longer hair..._

"You think I'm her, your" she breathed, calming her nerves "...your wife." She gulped; things were getting more and more complicated.

He raised his brows, clearly unimpressed by her deduction. "You are her." He stretched the syllable at her drawing attention that it was not just some misplaced belief, "merely been reincarnated again."

She clenched her fingers, _he will just concede to his own viewpoint, damn this Pharaoh._

"Even if I were, don't you get it that all of it is in the past." Suppressed fury finally unreleased from her veins.

"THAT'S WHERE YOU SHOULD BE TOO, IN THE PAST- DEAD AND BURIED" she shouted and in the heat of the moment launched herself at him, clawing his face with her nails.

Her struggle against him like before had resulted into another futile attempt; this time however, she had agitated him beyond his tolerance.

With a hold of her manacles with his left hand above her head, he threw her on the bed followed by straddling her waist. His right hand inspected the starches she made on his face and neck, onyx looking coldly and detached at her.

"This calls for remittance, Sakura." He said her name for the first time in a tone laced with impassiveness yet the unsavoury threat in it lay unhidden.

* * *

 **Feddans-** measuring unit

 **Khosheps** \- sickle swords

 **SaHHa,muwalin raqiq** \- awake from your slumber, loyal slaves. (A/N:- I used the goggle translator lol, the only langauge I know apart from English is Hindi)

 **ana,wasiyya antum ila sahha** – I command you to wake up.

 **Taweret** \- Goddess of birth and fertility.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Author's note:-**_ Hey guys! I think I can't live without writing this fanfiction, it keeps compelling me lol  
A guest reviewer had asked if I'm Indian and well, yes I am! Its so nice to see that another fellow Indian is reading my fanfic, there are not many people in India that like anime so its always quite lovely to find someone who appreciates it. In my school, people didn't even know that Naruto exists :( how I hope I will find friends who love anime in college or maybe friends in general, I am quite a loner :3

Youngblossom- Your review always brings a smile to my face :D I am so glad that you like this fic.

C.S Isui - Growing up I had been a huge fan of the mummy franchise and I reckon you are a big fan of the movie too!

Thanyou for the reviews- Anissa, Rocketreina, emilydagreat and all other anonymous reviewers.

oh and a guest reviewer had asked whether I would change the rating to M. Well to be honest, I am still thinking about it. I have never written a lemon so I keep dreading I would ruin it but I think I would give it a try, if it ends up being an utter fail, you guys could always ask me to delete it lol.

Remember to leave a review if you have the time.

 _ **Disclaimer:-**_ I do not own Naruto.

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

* * *

 _ **He's a vision in white**_

 _ **With a cold black heart.**_

 _ **Ripped with every edge**_

 _ **Yet she's falling apart.**_

 ** _Enamored_** _ **with the goodness**_

 _ **That is bewitched from the start.**_

* * *

Investigator Shikamaru knelt over one of the twelve pools of powdery residue that had seemingly come out of nowhere in the Luxor site.

The head of the archaeological department had contacted the bureau of investigation regarding the discommunication between them and the team of archaeologists comprising of thirteen people.

He felt the grey residue in his hands that were covered by gloves; bringing his palm closer to his nostrils he whiffed it.

"Ashes" he concluded.

Shikamaru along with his team had been dispatched to see what had occurred to them. However, there was no trace of them at the site, not a single person, a campsite or anything at all. Everything was burned and cinders lay in close proximity to each other. Apart from the extravation site of an empty tomb, there was absolutely nothing there. Just sand, dust, burned plastic and ashes.

"Kiba, send samples of each residue to the forensic department."

Shikamaru felt a migraine coming up, his instincts warning him that something terrible has taken place here.

"What kind of a sick fuck would have done this? Those bandits must have been keeping an eye on them and just when they had unearthed the ornaments, those bastards probably cornered them." Kiba clenched his fingers, a surge of pity rose in him as he imagined the pain they had undergone to... _burned to ashes, how low some people fell for money..._

Shaking his head as if he wanted to disconnect himself from feeling too much, Kiba surged forth to carry on the order that Shikamaru had given.

"Bandits, huh?" Shikamaru said to himself with a faraway look in his eyes as he fumbled with his lighter. _We would be lucky if its bandits we are dealing with._

Reaching out for his phone, he dialled out a number.

"Naruto, I believe this might concern your bureau."

* * *

Sakura scowled at the man that trapped her in place rigidly while he straddled her waist.

"Do your worst!" she hissed. _I don't care what he does to me, he can bloody butcher me up like a fowl but I won't give-_

The trail of her thoughts died right in the instance the pharaoh had leaned in and captured her lips in a kiss. Her whole body went ridged with surprise but when she felt his tongue's gentle prodding, she broke out from the trace and tried to detangle herself from his grasp. She tried to wiggle out from him but it seemed impossible as his one hand gripped tightly on her manacles and the weight of his whole body pressed down on her.

She pressed her lips in a straight line, clasping them tightly. No way in hell was she going to let his tongue enter her mouth.

His right hand that had been free toppled down from her waist caressing every end of her body. She jolted in a spurt of pleasure when his hand stroked her inner thighs. In an effort to knock off the deviant lord from herself, she hoisted her knees up to kick him in the shin.

Nonchalantly noticing her defiant move, he grabbed her left leg and threw it over his waist successfully halting her from making anymore nuisance.

Deeping the kiss, he nuzzled the tuft of pink hair on her hand. He heard an unconscious moan from her and felt heat emasculate from their forms. Unable to control his cranial instinct, he bucked against her. A gasp left her mouth; taking advantage of the opening he let his tongue enter mouth. He rolled it against her and before she knew it, her tongue was moving in sync with his as a surge of lust shadowed over her.

He tasted like honey and cardamom with a tinge of spice. It was a taste she could get addicted on. He felt rugged and muscular against her. With the way he had his arms wrapped around her, kissing her and moving against her, she had trouble trying to resist.

Giving in seemed so much easier.

When they broke off to catch a breath, he detached himself from her falling onto the other side of the mattress.

Sakura felt a blitz of shame come to her. He had killed her friends, brought her against her will and could start a rampage anytime.

What was she thinking, kissing him back?

"Is this why brought me here?" her eyes became dull and she felt a void building up inside her.

"To be your whore..." she whispered the words so softly that they could hardly be heard even by her own ears.

Rage emancipated from Sas-suk's aura, his voice darkened and ignited with a fury quenched in them like no other.

"Don't you dare ever addresses yourself in such an impertinent manner again." He got up from the bed and scrutinized the girl in front of him that laid still. he controlled his temper and tried rationalizing with himself to give her space and time, he left the bedroom.

With a flick of his fingers, he summoned Adeni, his serpent that could take the form of a human female.

"My lord, how long have I waited for you to return." Adeni kneeled acknowledging his return.

"Tell me what I can do for you."

"I need you to look after your lady, attend to her needs."

"As your lordship desires."

Sas-suk nodded and dismissed her. Perhaps Sakura would adapt to the situation more aversely in the presence of another female.

Sakura was looking out of the window, she felt so perplexed. What could she do to escape, how can she get in contact with someone to curtail this menace. _What does he want now?_

She was about to shout at his interference when she noticed a woman wearing a brown linen dress. She looked a little older than her and possessed shiny raven hued hair, olive skin and the most eerie eyes Sakura had even seen on a person. Her orbs were golden.

Sakura was even more surprised when she bowed in her direction.

"My lady, I have been appointed by master to serve you. Is there something you need?"

Sakura bit her lips, this was probably another one of his traps.

She shook her head and looked away, refusing to meet her eyes. _I want to go home..._

Thethought alone caused tears to edge on her eyes which she angrily blinked away.

"How about a bath, my lady. It would soothe you." Her voice was gentle and it made Sakura trust her a little. She seemed genuine. Making eye contact with the woman, she nodded.

Sakura stretched. God, she felt so relaxed. The water was refreshing and cool against her skin. Taking a flower scented soap in one hand; she rubbed it over her shoulder and neck. She felt reinvigorated and more level-headed now.

Deciding to talk to her companion who was preparing herbal oil for her, she asked for her name.

Sakura fiddled with the serpent bracelet that clutched her wrist, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't remove it.

"The lord gave you a protection bracelet, how very sweet of him." Akeni glanced at the bracelet taking note of its beauty.

Sakura scowled, the only protection she needed was from him, "what do you mean by a protection bracelet?"

"It is an amulet of sort; the wearer is protected from evil influences, mishaps and diseases."

"Akeni, why are you serving him?" she decided to be more forward.

"The serpents have been under the patronage of the Uchiha clan quite similar to the way the birds had been to Hyuuga or the frogs to Uzumaki clan." Akeni stopped speaking for a while as if she was contemplating whether to continue or not.

"Serpent" Sakura mummered, "So you're not" she gulped, _not human._

Akeni nodded understanding what she had meant. sakura sighted, drawing her kness closer to her so she could prop her chin onto them for support. Things can't get more ludicrous can they? The back of her mind told her to be careful or else Murphy's law might take into account her whimsical notions just to prove her wrong.

"There were four great clans- Hyuuga, Uchiha, Uzumaki and the Senju. Bit by bit over the centuries, the clans disappeared. Although even now some from the ancestry live but they don't possess the power that is the bloodline limit."

"The blood line limit?" Sakura questioned

"They are special abilities passed down genetically within specific clans-the Kekkei Genkai. The Uchiha clan has one of the most powerful bloodline- the sharingan. It has many evolved stages and Master Sas-suk is the only one ever to unlock the Rinnegan; known to be the strongest dojutsu. No one could stand parallel to his ocular prowess in a fight."

Sakura suddenly remembered those red eyes of Sasuke that seemed to be intricate with black tomoe's. _The sharingan._

"So you are saying that he can't be defeated in a war."

Akeni laughed, Sakura could detect something sinister in her rejoice.

"My lady, a war would be when both sides have an equal chance of winning."

Anxious, perturbed, distraught and agitated. That's how she had felt the second that Akeni had voiced out her view of her lord's valour, the painful reality of Sas-suk's agility made clear to her. _Who was she kidding, she never stood a chance...unless, unless she could actually pertain him._

 _He thought of her as his dead wife's reincarnated form, didn't he?_

Sakura smirked; the tables might get turned afterall.

Deceit, manipulation, pretence, swindle, feint. She could use the tools of duplicity to her advantage.

Closing her eyes, she blew out the candle next to her.

Let the games begin.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Author's note:-**_ hey there! Thankyou for the reviews, I really appreciate your views.  
I think I always leave out some typos even after trying to read it over again, so thanks to all of you who have been so patient with me.

if you have the time, do leave a review-it fuels my love for writing.

 _ **Disclaimer:-**_ I do not own Naruto.

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

* * *

 **The green eyed monster**  
 **turns even an ally to nemesis**  
 **such is the lust for throne**

* * *

Pushing _a flick of her cherry blossom hued hair behind her ear, Kura-ankh tried to concentrate her entire attention to continue reading the scroll of herbal remedy for curing ocular deficiency. Her dear husband had been strained and agitated as a result of over exhaustion of constant use of the Mangekyo Sharingan. While the dojustsu was debatably perhaps the most substantial and potent even in the presence of the most formidable and venomous enemy, it did have its eminent downfall._

 _It had a limitation-the user of the Mangekyo inevitably upon summoning its power becomes weakened with time; directly pertaining to its overusage. Something, if not curtailed with a system of checks and deliberate accountability could lead to loss of sight for the user._

 _She had read multitudes of texts culminating from the establishment of the Uchiha clan itself but even with detailed information about the very history and origin of the sharingan combined with her own extensive knowledge of all possible medicinal antitodes, she has failed to reach a viable cure..._

 _Huffing out sigh, she massaged the nape of her neck by applying a gentle pressure and rotating her fingers in a circular motion._

 _With her pregnancy reaching her third trimester, she often had trouble sitting in one place for a prolonged period of time. She was more or less accustomed to the all the changes the growing baby inside of her had brought but every now and then, the baby's haul of sudden movements along with her lack of sleep would get to her._

 _She horrifyingly remembered how a week ago, she had thrown the thing closest to her in range- apparently an earthen vase at her husband who had barely dogged it. He had been quite taken aback by her fit of temper but had laughed it off seemingly amused by her ever changing moods and occasional bursts of anger. In her defence, he had been agitating her constantly by keeping a firm check on her. When he had gone as far as to appoint a slave to accompany her wherever she went without refuting to her dismissal had been the last straw for her._

 _He had been jealously protective of her and understandingly so giving in to the fact that she and his unborn child were his only family, his only solace. As much as she favoured her freedom, she had ultimately conceded to being under his watchful eyes. Only because she loved him enough not to roll her eyes or be dismissive of his actions but truly what could possibly go wrong. He was being far too sceptical._

 _Trailing her eyes towards the window, she noticed how the sun was almost about to set down. Scowling, she got up and strolled off from the room. Her servant and two guards followed her behind a distance of a few steps._

 _He had promised to retire to their chamber earlier today but for someone who reprimanded her quite often not to over strain herself, he wasn't good at being a follow up for his own advice._

 _Being lost in her in her thoughts, she almost didn't notice general Madara standing just in front of her path._

" _Queen Kura-anhk" he greeted her without fixing his eyes on her. His calculative gaze analyzing something else altogether._

" _General Madara" she nodded acknowledging his presence. She was about to leave when she heard the grunts from her guards. Turning her head back, her eyes widened when she saw them lay in a pool of their own blood. Six nobles from the branching clan stood smirking, reeking of blood and malice looking at her. One of them strangled her slave and sliced her throat while she sobbed and howled for her life._

 _Feeling bile reach her throat, she clasped her mouth and walked back until her back hit Madara's firm chest. Looking at him with tears edging out her eyes, she shakingly told him to do something, to counteract these men._

 _Madara looked at her detachedly as he pulled his sword from the sheath._

 _The reek of betrayal and conspiracy sullened the air._

 _She clutched her stomach._

 _Blood, there was blood everywhere..._

 _Her child..._

 _Gritting her teeth, she managed to choke out, "why?"_

 _His begrudging laughter rang in the premise, "why, you ask? For the throne of course."_

 _His cold dark eyes slowly trailed from her pained visage to her abdomen, pushing his sword deeper, he watched as she coughed out spurts of blood._

 _The light in her emerald eyes was slowly fading, her pulse growing weaker by the second and her heart already broken by the loss of her child._

" _Had you not been impregnated by his spawn, I would have kept you"_

 _She laughed painfully, ironically._

" _Death is better than to even breathe in the same air as that of a coward, you're not even a m-man, atta-attacking from behind,weakling."_

 _Plunging his sword once again, he gripped her by her hair and threw her lifeless figure on the ground._

Sakura woke up gasping from her sleep, she clutched her head. It hurt, everything hurt. That dream...

She gripped the silken sheets of the bed, such cruelty. Biting her lower lip, she brought her shaking fingers closer to her cheeks- to feel wetness on them.

She had been crying.

 _How am I supposed to feel? There are all these memories that are coming back to me from a time I refuse to acknowledge while I need to sub-due the man for whom I can't harbour to feel any compassion for..._

The treacherous part of her weakened heart whispered how understable Sas-suk's action had been. Burying that voice to the corners of her being, she got up from the bed.

 _I need a bath and I don't need to think about all this. Mistakes done by someone else from another time doesn't give him the right to maim innocents._

 _He's intricately evil too._

Somehow her heart clenched painfully at the thought.

 _This changes nothing, I have to stop him._

 _I have to._

Wiping herself dry, she inspected the clothes that Adeni had given her. They were typical Egyptian grab dresses that women of that era had adorned. The fascinator of ancient relics in her basked in the texture of the linen. A part of her that was so intrigued by Egypt and history tried to brace itself from surfacing.

Priorities, she needed to sort of her priorities.

In this case, quite easily it was to bring down a deranged Pharaoh from ruling over the world.

Sas-suk manoeuvred himself to look at the citing of the human realm in recent time. From the information, he had acquired by transcending the memories of the archaeologists, he could make out that things had changed significantly.

The people had advanced at a phenomenal rate and made such devices and weapons that had even gained a part of him to acknowledge their capability.

However, arrogance is truly blind. While in one hand, the humans ironically yielded so much power but on the other side, they were simply inept at curtailing it. There was so much misbalance.

When he heard footsteps approaching him, he rested his chin over palm. Narrowing his eyes tentatively, he wondered why Sakura was approaching him at her own discretion.

 _Just what are you plotting now, little kitten?_

He was unable to hold his smile back when he saw her. She wore a red dress that with the upper piece stopping just below her chest to expose a creamy tantalizing skin of her waist while the lower piece continued off as a long skirt.

"Sakura"

She fumbled with her bracelet, how was she even supposed to speak with this man?

So much for manipulating him...

"Have you taken sustenance?"

She blinked dumbly; he was asking her whether she had breakfast. Really, of all the things?

Well, fair enough. Akeni had brought her some delicious fruits and a glass of warm milk which she had consumed quite hastily.

She nodded, "Akeni-she's been looking out after me."

"hn, I figure her presence is appreciated then."

Sakura watched perplexed when he started to walk away from her. She was about to call out to him when he had turned his head at her, telling her to accompany him to the gardens.

While she maintained a safe distance from him- upon seeing the beauty of the inner palace, she had all but dashed ahead of him looking gapingly at the flower gardens.

It was like Demeter- the goddess of spring; herself had created this little heaven. Vineyards of grapes lay in close proximity to each other, alternative hues of tulips and irises lay in a rectangular plot. In the centre- there was a circular flower bed of the most fragrant red roses Sakura had ever laid her eyes upon. Exquisite butterflies fluttered around it. The periphery of the entire palace was covered by fig trees.

The sight was absolutely breathtaking.

"It's beautiful" Sakura breathed. In the spurt of the moment, she stretched her arms and twirled around loving the feel of the wind playing with her hair.

When he came near, Sakura believed it was the perfect time to convince him and make him see things from her perspective. Afterall, he's been agreeable with her so far.

"Sas-suk, I know whatever happened in the past wasn't right but you can't let someone else's mistake speak for others- please, please don't hurt-

He pressed his forefinger onto her lips, halting her from speaking further.

"Sweet Sakura, it was this compassion that had gotten the better of us."

"What would revenge give you? Fulfilment?"

She smoothly brought her palm to his shoulder, drawling it slowly towards his chest, stopping just next to his beating heart. "Darkness cannot drive out darkness, Sas-suk. Give this a chance; give me a chance to prove it to you"

A careful gulp and quivering of her lower lips. _Just give in already._

"Alright then."

Her eyes widened, she did it. She succeeded in buying herself time to stop him from going on a killing spree, now she just needed to-

She frowned when she heard him chuckle. What did he find so amusing?

"Is that what you thought I did say?"

His onyx eyes held no trace of warmth while they held her's in a trance.

"How foolish, since it is a reminder you need, I will say it once again." He nuzzled her hair in a mockingly affectionate way. "Dismiss anymore nugatory queries you have, I will re-establish the reign of the Uchiha clan again, set things on their rightful track." He brought her menacle to his lips, dropping a kiss near her pulse point.

"And you would be by my side with full obedience and loyalty."

A shiver ran down her spine, his tone was so commanding, so domineering.

"Don't make things difficult for yourself, my love" he whispered next to her ear, his breath heavy on her. Blankly, she clasped the material of his shenti.

 _He is always two steps ahead of her._

* * *

"All the clues indicate that he has been resurrected once again." Neji said showing the file of the Luxor mishap to the director of the bureau of investigation, Naruto Uzumaki.

The bureau of supernatural investigation is perhaps one of the most well kept secrets. The members are all themselves descents from a lineage of inexplicable ancestry.

"Tenten and Lee have already been assigned to look more into the matter particularly about the whereabouts of Haruno Sakura, she was the only one out of the archaeologists whose remains were not found. However, we can't ascertain whether she is alive or not"

Cerulean blue eyes filled with worry as he flicked the pages of the file.

"Contact Ino, we would need her skill to tract him." He clenched his fists. "Put everything else on hold, I want every person in the bureau to look into this solely. We need to deal with him before he gets stronger."


	6. Chapter 6

_**Author's note:-**_ hey guys! I am so damn sick of reading my biology book, I just couldn't bear to study it today so lol instead I decided to be completely unproductive and well write this. Thanks for your views, follows and favorites.  
so this chapter is pretty short, it solely focuses on the events in the past. I think it deserved a sole chapter so there you have it!

Also I want to address some particular reviewers regarding some suggestion they had made:-

Army- so the thing about Sakura being pregnant again, well I havent thought that far ahead to be honest but thanks for your suggestion.  
Heart- I really appreciate your view point but the thing is that while Naruto will play a significant role in this story, I am afraid I will not pair her off with him instead of Sasuke. lol so no killing off Sasuke-kun okay? He's sorta the lead character of this fic and I can't really have him dying again, I already killed him off once in this fanfic.  
Guest - I will make this fanfic M eventually but the smut will probably come after a few more chapters. Thankyou for telling me not to doubt myself lol

thanks Rocketreina,jstsasusakufan,anissa,janedoe,dieinhappiness,youngblossom,emilydagreat and guests for your sweet reviews.

 **If you have the time, please review even if it is just a word or two.**

 _ **Disclaimer:-**_ I do not own Naruto.

* * *

 **Chapter 6**

* * *

 **Haunted by a bleak past  
the sorrow of what could have been  
The fallout of malice and a pride of a clan  
** **A mere puppet he became in fate's hands  
** **The heart he thought he had lost broke again  
** **So furious was his rage, So deep his melancholy**

* * *

Sas-suk entered the room where Sakura slept. He chuckled looking at her position, her head lay on her arm while she had hoisted her right leg onto the pillow. She certainly wasn't a very graceful sleeper. Light snorts could be heard-blamed mostly on her mental and physical exhaustion.

Sitting next to her, he settled to look at her peaceful figure that was lost in her dreamland. He could understand how difficult and bizarre things were for her but he can't bear to distance himself for her, he had been without her far too long. Thousands years is a dreadfully long time to wait.

He smiled when he noticed the small mole next to her upper lip, nothing had changed about her neither in appearance or personality. Still the same beautiful and fiery woman he had fallen in love with.

He clasped her finger drawing them closer to his lips, he pressed a lingering kiss. _There is no letting go this time._

 _The debate at the courtroom had gotten quite heated today. Almost half of his councilmen were opposing his verdict to deduct the amount of revenue collection by half in the province for merchants and to waiver it completely for the farmers. Apparently, they believed flooding the already brimming treasury is more important than the plight of the countrymen. His people had suffered enormously due to inundation of the flood plains-many had died and the rest that survived were suffering to barely get by due to a famine._

 _In such times of turbulence where the city was scavenging from the ugly faces of death and diseases, it sickened him how some noblemen were more concerned with proper installment of funds._

 _He angrily clenched his fingers, the nails biting into his palm almost painfully._

 _How in the world could they even tread into such matters light headedly, fools, the entire lot of them. He on the teachings of his brother, Itachi believed that it is the duty of those in power to look into the welfare of the entire state- to value the life of every person that lived in his realm primarily._

 _Sighing to himself, he berated himself for not informing Kura-ankh through a servant that he would be late. She probably hadn't even consumed her meal in whilst of his wait. Even though he had chided her so many times, to look after her pregnant self better, it seemed his words just kept on falling to deaf ears._

 _They do say that healers end up being incorrigible when it comes to their own well being._

 _How annoying._

 _For someone who loves him so endearingly, she surely does not concede very well to the fact that his life revolves around her._

 _Every sweet smile, every lingering look, every tantalizing touch warmed and melted his heart. When he was with her, he felt as if he had the world in his hands just by encircling his arms around her waist. When his parents and brother had died in the hands of war, he had become an empty vessel. A hollow of a man._

 _In the midst of reluctantly assorting himself to go on in life again, he had never thought he could be whole once again but then, like an oasis in a desert; like a nirvana- Kura-ankh had come into his life and healed all the scars that time had seared on him. The heart that he believed had languished with the remains of his family beat for her and his unborn child. They are his rest and respite, his dreams and hopes. Just everything and everything and eternal._

Suddenly, halting his thought process all together, he stopped still on his tract.

 _There was a trail of blood in the agate path..._

He numbly compelled himself to walk forth. Every step took shaked his willpower. He urged to control the bile that rose in his throat as he got closer.

He had closed his eyes upon seeing the maimed figures of the guards and the young slave girl he had assigned for his wife, his wife...

 _God, no_

No

 _Gulping the lump in his throat, he forced himself to look further._

His chest tightened painfully, his knees growing weaker by the second.

The sight of a bleeding, broken body of his wife lying in the pool of her blood harshly greeted him.

 _He fell on his knees, clutching her tightly- pulling her head onto his lap. His shaking hands touching pulse, checking her heart beat- desperately looking for any sign of life._

"Wake up"

" _Wake up, my love."_

 _Hot streaks of tear lined the side of his cheekbones and went down his sculpted jaw line._

 _His lips quivered as he grieved, blood-there was so much blood._

" _Please, don't leave" Sas-suk sobbed, frantically moving his hand against her palm, trying to warm her cold one. Please don't leave me..._

 _She remained cold and pale and unblinking._

" _I will do you a favour and send you to her." Madara came out from the shadows, his sword smeared and sullened with innocent blood, his kekkei-genkai activated. "Since you miss her so much"_

 _Sas-suk sat unflinchingly, holding the body of his wife close to him._

Madara betrayed him.

Madara killed her.

He lost his child, he lost them both.

Death stole all from him.

A part of him screamed at himself to get up, to activate his mangekyo sharingan and rip apart Madara, slowly and painfully. To torture him and condemn him to the most inhuman punishment ever. Crush his fingers, skin his flesh- make him divulge like filth in aftermath of his actions but he didn't do anything at all.

He couldn't live in a world without her; he couldn't keep up with the pace of life without them.

He had lost his family again and with them, his will to live.

The gods hadn't been fair to him; did they get some kind of sickening amusement watching him loose everything he holds precious?

Seti controlled the cycle of life and death, is this what he had destined for him? This wrenched fate?

He felt Madara's sword plunge into his back, breaking his skin.

The gods choose this for him; the gods took everything from him.

Slowly, Sas-suk glanced sideways, his eyes meeting Madara's in a heated standoff.

 _Now, he will take back what they stole and they will face his resilience._

"Do not besiege in glory of a false victory, coward" his right eye rippled in a concentric purple pattern.

Madara's eyes widened in disbelief. His sharingan clashed with the rinnegan.

He begrudgingly thought when had Sas-suk unlocked the ultimate rumoured kekkei-genkai.

" _This is but another beginning for me yet your end is written in my hands, scoundrel"_

Madara launched himself at him at lightning speed when his body altogether fell in a distance of a few steps from his original position, his head rolling down away from it.

Sas-suk turned to look at his wife's face once again and kissed her dried pale lips. His heartbeat weakened and his vision was starting to blur.

" _I promise that this isn't the end for us, my love."_

* * *

Seti- God of death


	7. Chapter 7

_**Author's note:-**_ hello guys! **I'm afraid I WILL BE GOING ON A SHORT BREAK SAY 25-35 DAYS SO BASICALLY, NO UPDATES FOR A MONTH.( my test is just 'round the corner)**

 **I will definitely complete this story though within this year.**

Also **this** **fic has officially turned M.** well,I did it...I wrote a lemon, um atleast I think I did lol. I feel a little awkward lol so dear readers be honest and tell me whether its completely revolting. I will try to improve given there's hope ofcourse!

P.S help me reach a 100 reviews!

 _ **Disclaimer:-**_ I do not own Naruto.

* * *

 **Chapter 7**

 **Her heart falters while her defiance spurts  
with her beliefs divided  
she whilst awake between a treacherous heart and veracious mind**

* * *

" _Foolish man" Kura-ankh chided re-applying the antiseptic balm on Sas-suk's wound. After covering the wounded area of his triceps with linen bandages, she shot him another heated glare._

How very impulsive of him to charge straight at the perpetrators head on without any of his guards to assist him? For someone who's supposed to be one of the most competent strategists, he doesn't really take his title as the king into consideration.

She tightened the bandage almost painfully in remittance for his brash actions. Gritting her teeth, she wanders whether he thinks of himself to be invisible or simply above others- so dangerously superior that the likes of him can't even commit a flaw in battle much less get killed.

 _Patience, Kura-ankh bitterly realizes is not her husband's forte._

 _There had been talks going on around the palace about a group of bandits that have infiltrated several mercenaries and plan to invade into the castle as a challenge to divulge into the royal treasury. Sas-suk had knowingly let down the guard around the palace in a perfect plot to catch them red-handed.  
_

 _To let the enemy walk into their own trap._

 _What they hadn't anticipated however was that one of them was a highly skilled assassinator, paid by the Kenkijaki clan to harm Sas-suk._

 _Obviously, her husband had beat down the man easily but just as Kura-ankh had worried her husband had acted brash in fury at this audacity by the ruler of Kenkijaki.  
_

 _Without so much as sparing a glace to his men, he had propelled forward alone to Nedicet to teach his nemesis a lesson. She had ordered the troops to be dispatched hurriedly already correctly anticipating what Sas-suk had planned._

 _When their people had reached, he had already taken a fourth of warriors from the Kenkijaki and made them meet their end._

 _The outcome of the combat was just as she had pre-determined._

 _Her husband had come back victorious and had conquered another territory in the Uchiha name._

 _This, ofcourse didn't make her any less agitated at him. Strong or not, to divulge in the land of your enemy unprepared was a high risk he had taken._

" _You'll get wrinkles if you keep making such a face." Sas-suk poked her head with his forefinger. She slapped his hand away, ducking her face._

 _He tsked, "Violence against your own husband?" taking a swirl of her rose-coloured hair, he teasingly caressed it coming closer to inhale the citrus fragrance she eluded. "Surely this does not reflect well on your image as a queen."_

 _Red hot fury ignited in her veins again._

 _He dare address her about propriety?_

 _Insufferable man_

" _Oh, so going on to a enemy's territory without tailing for your men justifies your image as the king so admirably, my lord?" she mocked, her voice mimicking in a shrieking high pitched tone that she knew annoyed him._

" _Hnn" how touché, Sas-suk thought._

 _However when he noticed the sad expression break free in his spouse's visage, he dropped off his antics._

" _Kura, I hadn't meant for you to worry." He endearingly stroked her cheeks and kissed off the light tears that had edged out from her spring green eyes._

 _She clasped his shoulders, "You can't be so careless." Her head rested on the nape on his neck. "I know you're strong but you can't just keep relying on yourself Sas-suk, if something happens to you, I w-_

" _Shhh, nothing will happen." He coaxed her and emphasized his statement by locking her lips in a heated kiss, savouring her taste until he was sated and parted breathlessly from her._

 _He pulled her onto the mattress, tucking her robe, ensnaring her till she lay beneath him. He trailed kisses slowly towards her ear, licking the sensitive stop near her earlobe._

 _Finding his way back to her lips, he dipped his tongue into her mouth. She tasted heavenly-a mixture of strawberry and honey danced in his cavern. Suppressing a groan, he withdrew from her._

 _Her wide green's met his onyx, her cheeks flushing red._

* * *

Sakura woke up in horror from her steamy dream. She embarrassingly noticed how hot and bothered she was- the tell-tale evident on her dripping undergarment.

She couldn't believe herself. _God, I want to die...  
That damn pharaoh is messing with my head, yeah that must be it. There's no way that I could possibly even remotely feel something for him._

 _He's evil, he killed people, he wants to rule the world._ Her mind played these wording again and again, convincing herself not to falter.

 _Who cares if he's handsome? So what if his gazes are so intense? So what if his kisses make her toes curl in pleas- BAD THOUGHTS SAKURA!_

She clutched her hair tightly, trying to mock some sense into her head.

She gulped, what a dangerous man he was.

Devious indeed.

When Adeni had entered her chamber, she hadn't even notice until she spoke with her. "The master calls for you, my lady."

"NO!" Adeni blinked at her loud verdict.

"I-I mean, I need to take a bath first." Sakura flushed getting up from her bed, pacing towards the bathing area.

Adeni narrowed her eyes at the direction of her lady, she was behaving rather odd. She idly wondered what her master had done now to infuriate the poor girl.

* * *

Ino concentrated once again to find Sas-suk's trace. Closing her eyes, she could see the faces of myriads of people.

Children, thieves, murders, politicians, other supernatural beings in vicinity but not him, not the one they have been anxiously searching for.

Huffing out a sight, she shook her head to Naruto's imploring look.

"Are you sure that he's our man?" she questioned him.

Naruto scolded, he hated it when people doubted him. "It's him alright. All evidence point to his direction." He tossed the file that contained information regarding the death of the group of archaeologists.

"There was no trace of blood-of anything at all. Only ashes. Do you think it could be the work of some human?"

"Moreover, his unearthed tomb is empty. He's out there somewhere Ino and we need to act fast. Every second, he gets stronger." He gripped his blonde hair, biting his thumb in a nervous gesture.

 _And I am afraid we won't be able to overpower him._ He left his last sentence unvoiced but looking at the worried form of the usually enthusiastic blonde; Ino knew that things had taken a turn for the worst.

Shikamaru walked in the conference room. Casting a look at them in greeting, he took a seat across Naruto.

"I figure you haven't been able to trace him." Shikamaru states, already knowing the inevitable answer.

"Can you do it then?" Ino mocks.

"Tone it down you two" Naruto calls in, the last thing he needs is his colleagues fighting amongst themselves.

Addressing Shikamaru, he asks him whether he found out something new.

"It seems Haruno Sakura is alive-perhaps, it's just a theory ofcourse but he might have taken her with him."

Ino blinks dumbfounded. "Why would he take her with him? He probably killed her off someplace else or maybe she ran away and was too scared to contact her department?"

"I will be damned if I knew but I doubt she's dead, there's no evidence pointing to that and well, this Sas-suk guy turned people to ashes, what makes you think he couldn't have caught her without a hitch?"

"So let's assume she's alive and quite possibly with him." Naruto's eye sparkled with renewed vigour. "Ino trace her,maybe- just maybe we might even get to know something which could give us some lead."

Sas-suk's chakra nature must have been protecting him from getting detected; the same ofcourse couldn't be said for Sakura. Nodding at Shikamaru, Naruto felt he had to give it to the genius to his rational thinking.

"Well atleast we wouldn't be point blank." Shikamaru reinstated.

Ino closed her eyes again, forming the image of the pinkette in her mind she concentrated to find her life source.

A pale green shadowed her vision.

She opened her eyes, wide and shocked.

"I-I found her. She is with him." she gulps, thinking about the pharaoh's enormous ocular prowess to transcend this.

"They are in another dimesion"


	8. Chapter 8

_**Author's note:-**_ Hey guys! Its been a while since I have updated! I hope you like this chapter- the word count is shamingly constricted-I'm sorta busy with college applications and all so until then bear with this lazy authoress.

Thankyou for your sweet reviews Anissa, bleach power, rocketreina,jajaja,sakura yui and all guests!

 _ **Disclaimer:-**_ I do not own Naruto.

* * *

 **Chapter 8**

* * *

 **Neither a friend nor foe  
** **A stranger's assurance befuddled her  
so the course of action laments still  
to give her trust without sighting  
to just heed to these alarming voices**

"Ino, access her memories. We need to know whether she was taken or-

"If she went willingly" Ino finished his trail of thoughts.

Naruto nodded. "We can't do much as long as he is there but at the same time, we can't afford to buy him more time. That guy is an Uchiha; he is years ahead of us in nearly every ability."

Shikamaru fiddled with his lighter in a careless manner but his eyes for once held anxiousness. He glanced at Naruto, knowing what set the usual cheerful blonde clothed with a worry undertone. _The sharingan can control the kyuubi..._

"Waste no more time, Ino do it."

She closed her eyes, concentrating her chakra source-activating the Yamanaka blood line limit to submerge into the memories and thoughts of a person.

The motion play of the pinkette's memories played in her mind. She felt her initial happiness of unearthing the tomb turn into dreaded remorse as she lost her comrades. She felt her determination and her fear, her confusion and her agility- all of her feelings, emotions and vulnerability were out for her to bear.

When she opened her eyes, a sense of pity blurred in her conscience. The romantic in her supported her enemy's deranged reasoning.

 _What a sad pitiable tale those two had._

 _So beautiful but so very sad._

 _An incomplete ending, an eternal love._

"Ino, what did you see?"

"Well, for one the pharaoh is damn hot"

"Ino!"

"Troublesome"

She rolled her eyes; there goes her effort to lighten up the mood a little.

"She didn't go willingly with him."

"Why did he take her of all people? What's his ploy?"

"He- he loves her."

Naruto sighted, "Ino, stop. Be serious."

"I am!" she cried out. "Look, long story in short-she looks like his deceased wife, he believes she is her reincarnated form-took her against her will and wishes to destroy this world because it wronged him! Tadda~

Shikamaru arched his eyebrows.

Naruto's jaw dropped open.

"Are you fucking kidding me? What is this- some stupid play?

Ino crossed her arms; _no doubt they don't have any luck with girls. There's no romantic bone in those bodies._

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Do you want me to contact her or what? Its seems like she is on our side most likely." She muttered.

"Most likely?" Shikamaru questioned.

"Hmm, a girl's heart is fickle. With a man that hot, spurting tales of endless devotion- I'm kinda amazed, she isn't in a daze by now"

"I hate my job..." Naruto and Shikamaru said simultaneously.

Disrobing herself hastily, Sakura stepped into the cool water of rectangular bathing pool. The water fragmented with rosedrops rose over to her legs, gorging over her belly button and finally settling above her breasts as she lowered herself.

She rose her elbow and in a clumsy attempt twirled her hand onto the water in a too-fro motion creating a tiny disarray. She hummed in contentment as she felt her muscles release some tension and relax a little. Lowering her head back, she rested her head on the tiled surface and closed her eyelids.

"Sakura,listen."

Snapping her eyes open, she looked around to see the face on the spoken intruder but her gaze was only transfixed on the walls.

 _Its official I'm going crazy..._

" _No, you're not going insane."_

She gulped, _there's a freaking voice playing inside my head...its reading my thoughts..._

" _Sas-suk if this is some new trick of yours, I swear to god-_

" _Hold your reins; I'm not your enemy. My name is Ino and I-_

 _Phhhh, not my enemy_

" _Hey! Who would you rather trust, some damn immortal mummy or a friendly voice inside your head trying so damn hard to make you listen? Just trust me, ok? As bizarre as this is, believe in me. I'm trying to help you and don't voice out your thoughts, otherwise that mummy will catch on our trail."_

Sakura bit her lower lip, chewing on it-a nervous tick she had developed when things got complicated and boy, were they complicated!

" _Good girl, now listen. I think you have already figured out that the guy's kinda indestructible when you tried to shoot him"_

 _No shit Sherlock_

" _hey! Is that sarcasm I hear?"_

Sakura narrowed her eyes tentatively, _how did you know I shot him? Is this some kind of sick ploy where you pretend to be by my side and then its turns out you're working for him?"_

" _geez, so cynical. I accessed your memories-_

Sakura blinked, once then twice. _Say what? Am I a freaking person, not some computer data for you to access._

" _FOR GODSAKE PINKIE,LISTEN!_

" _Good, now I don't have the time to tell you all the details- this takes a lot of chakra you know-communicating between dimensions. Now don't ask me what charka is? All in due time, okay?"_

" _I am a member of the bureau of supernatural defence, we work under the government-for the government but our existence is perhaps one of the most well kept secrets or was- now that you know. Every member has a special power- a bloodline limit passed onto us from our ancestors. I think you can guess what our job entails?"_

 _What are you waiting for then! Come and help me._

" _Geez, civilians have no respect do they? Now listen as much as we did like to get there and take care of the guy, we can't skip into dimensions. You, Sakura have to bring him here."_

 _As if I hadn't tried._

" _You surely haven't tried enough, from what I can see- from your memories, he is rather um fond of you."_

She blushed vividly remembering about the numerous kissed the pharaoh stole from her, _what do you mean you saw? That's-that's invasion of privacy._

" _che, there's no privacy between government and civilians sweetie-we know everything."_

Sakura crossed her arms unimpressed.

" _Try your hardest to get him here as soon as you can. Remember failing to do so is not an option. We will..._

 _What?_

" _I'm running out of chakra, I will contact you later"_

Sakura ran her hand through her pink tresses; this Ino person wasn't really helpful? Get him out of here? Sure, it's her every day chore to get outer-worldly beings to and fro into dimensions. Piece of cake, really!

Damn Ino

Damn pharaoh

Damn her entire life.

The gods definitely hated her. The pink hair, the large forehead, a immortal mummy. Really, it all made sense- it was crystal clear that she must have displeased some deity.

"Lady Sakura, you have been in there for quite some time."

Yup, she must have done enormous bad deeds in previous lives to suffer so.

"I will be out in a few minutes, Adeni."

"Master Sas-suk insists on seeing you immediately."

Insists or orders, Sakura thought dejectedly.


	9. AN

**This is not a chapter, just an A/N.**

 **I will be editing and modifying the current chapters, chapter 1 has been re-done, the essence is the same but a little more detailed. within a week all the other impending chapters will also be re-uploaded. Its entirely your choice if you want to read the modified chapters.**


	10. Chapter 9

_**Author's note:-**_ Hmmmm, I think I am not really good at this writing thing... I am not really good at writing long chapters, I guess I am just plain lazy.

Thankyou to those to who still read this and encourage my mundane writing lol

 _ **Disclaimer:-**_ I do not own Naruto.

* * *

Chapter 9

* * *

 **Tonight when she unlocks the hurt lament in him  
she let's her captor seek refuge in her**

* * *

Sakura entered Sas-suk's room to see him completely immersed in reading a scroll; she idly wondered what he could possibly be reading about.

He hadn't noticed her entrance, too thusly occupied in perusal.

She scanty noticed that his room was quite similar to her own, the walls adorned with Uchiwa fan and small hieroglyphics. The furniture was a bare minimum though; a wooden desk lay in left-side with large amount of books and scrolls mounted on it. A white linen couch lay adjacent to it with a lone canopy bed with impressive gilded wooden work sprawled in the centre. It featured four posts at each of the four corners extending six feet high above the mattress- an ornate red fabric draped across the upper space between the posts.

"Sas-suk" she called out to him, her treacherous heart fluttering slightly under his gaze.

Sas-suk lifted his head to meet her eyes. Propping an elbow onto the desk, he rested his chin on the surface of his palm while motioning her to take a seat next to him with his unoccupied hand.

"Sakura, I had been waiting for you."

Noticing a flash of a displeased scowl of Sakura's visage which momentarily appeared, he arched his brow at her.

"What has set you off now?" he inquired, his tone laced with hints of concern.

 _You being alive for one,_ she whiskered away the thought to give her wordings a voice. Getting on his bad side doesn't really seem to be helping her one bit but she was a habitual offender by now, "The list is pretty long."

Her snarl hardened further when he returned her agitations with an amused smirk.

"I have time to listen."

She didn't like the glint in his eyes when he mouthed his words. Why was she the only one being rattled?

"It's been days since you have brought me here." She clenched her hand, her fist shaking with subdued anger.

"I have all of these questions inside me, when will I go home? What's your next move? What could you possibly achieve by all this?" She got up from her seat, turning around so her back was facing him. A lone frustrated tear escaped from her eye which she blinked away, crying won't do her any good.

"What do you want from me, Sasuke? To be your doll-to do and say what pleases you?"

Her breath got caught in her throat as he emerged in front of her blurred teary vision.

"You're not my prisoner Sakura." His voice came out like a whisper but soon became more resolute, "I know all this is taxing on you but give me time."

She laughed bitterly; _he doesn't get it, does he?_

"What would time do, Sas-suk? It won't bring back the shadow of the one you long to see in me, it won't bring back my friends and it won't..." she turned her head defiantly, bracing herself not to be too inconspicuous in her approach.

"Won't what? Say it."

"Say it" he repeated and waited for her to finish what she started.

Go on. Say it.

His eyes locked onto hers. Daring her. Challenging her.

Say it.

"IT WON'T BRING BACK THE CHILD YOU LOST, YOUR KINGDOM, YOUR WIFE-ALL OF IT IS LONG GONE"

"Enough" he said emotionless but Sakura could see the pain taking form in eyes. He might be wearing a mask of concrete indifference but she knows that he is being enslaved by the clutches of his past- all the agony and grief that encompasses it.

Her heart falters as a painful reminder of his tears flashes in her mind. Willing herself to continue, she fuels his anger, igniting him to reveal anything substantial that she could provide to Ino.

"Revenge will not give you happiness"

He edges closer to her, so close that they share the same breath. His finger latched onto her pink tresses, mockingly caressing it. He dipped his head next to her ear, his breath heavy so contradicting to his whisper. She could feel his control over his rage deter as his nostrils flare in volatile anger

"Who said this is about happiness?" he chuckled darkly feeling her shiver under his grasps.

"This is about getting even- trumping with the cards that had been once dealt with already" his voice was dark and ominous, "could you even bare to imagine how it feels to hold everything you love in your arms only for it to fade away? You love to speak of justice and mercy quite a lot, Sakura." He grips her shoulder tight, her skin blanching white under his strong hold. "Tell me what conquer of territory is greater than the blood of your kin, what fortune is so vast to end the life of an innocent woman and what justice is there in god's realm when a parent loses his child without even embracing him once?"

"TELL ME,SAKURA" he shakes her harshly as if he wanted her to wake up from her facade, to see the color of this world through his eyes. He hates himself further when her expression turns hopeless and tired.

 _But he can't get out of this cycle of self-loathing and plotting, it's all that had kept his going for centuries- it's all that he had envisioned about._

 _To get his pound of flesh, to sought for revenge against the wrong done to him._

 _Justice, he knows is bleak-only those who have the will to prevail it, can pursue for it._

 _He could never truly be in peace knowing that all that he loves could be taken from him again, he has lost his family twice- he's learned all there is needed to be known about treachery and betrayal. He knows better than to trust, better than to leave things to faith because all he holds precious can disappear like a whisk of smoke- as if it wasn't even there to begin with._

"It haunts me." He whispers so softly that she almost couldn't hear him and just like that her heart and resolution breaks while she embraces her enemy. She doesn't know what causes her to comfort him- in the instant she feels his sorrow intertwine in her, his pain echoing deep.

Without meaning to her eyes weep for him because he wouldn't cry-couldn't break. Her soul prays for him because he doesn't have any faith left in him.

She presses her lips against his- initiating contact by herself for the first time.

She doesn't know what reason pertains her to do so but for now, whether these feelings were disguised in the delusion of pity or mirth, she was completely inept in her hate for him perhaps only for this moment; her will surrendered if only for now but her heart was mourning for all that he had loved and lost.

Clasping her hands into his, she felt how his fingers were inhumanly cold and yet his lips that were connected with her's were as hot as fire. The kiss was itched with a frenzied passion, so desperate in motion to forget the world around them- so both the past and present won't be able to curtail and divide them anymore.

She doesn't know how but she ends up under him on the bed. Their laboured breaths huffing and arms roaming, lips parting and meeting rhythmically.

 _She wants to take away the hurt, the same sorrow that she had dismissively caused without knowing just how it wrenched her heart to anguish him- to see his pretence falter._

 _What had it accomplished? She had meant to peel away all his layers, his masks- to make him vulnerable only for her to drown in all his sufferings._

 _She wasn't a type of person to cause pain when it could be helped yet she had done exactly that- she had cut him where his wound were still fresh and flinched in ignorance when she saw him bleed._

He pressed bruising kisses to her pulse point making her inhale raggedly, her chest falling and risings in a tempo.

Her apple green eyes drifted taking sight of the man kissing her drunk with passion. He was so beautiful, filled with layers and complexity- temptation incarnate.

Her heart beat so fiercely with every touch that she was almost afraid it would burst open. She fluttered her eyes shut, losing to feel.

The sensations and desire sweeping in her made her shudder. His large hands roamed over her the length of her entire body, hands sliding past her ribcage to grab hold of her aching breasts.

She opened her mouth in a small gasp, moaning his name. Her head turning sideways as his thumb grazed her hardened nipple.

With a hard tug on his raven-hued hair, she brought his mouth against her's. He groaned in her mouth, the sound venerating through her. The sinuous stoking of his tongue along her own send in waves of pleasure right down to her core. She relished the feverish movements of his lips, his touches igniting warmth to pool in her lower belly.

When they parted apart finally on the pretext of catching air, both let a comfortable silence embark on them for a few minutes.

"Fine" she heard Sas-suk mummer against the nape of her neck.

"What?" she blinked perplexed.

"I- I will give it a chance." She stood in a sitting position instantly, her eyes widening like saucers. _Perhaps the kiss made me so light-headed that I am over-hearing thing?_

He sighted, clearly hating to repeat himself again. "I will give your way a chance."

"Sas-suk" she whispered his name unable to believe that he gave in to her. "You mean-

"Yes" he caught her hand and pulled her against him, "We will leave tomorrow" catching her lips in a delicate kiss, he continued his previous ministrations, smiling when he felt her gasp on surprise at his sudden change of course.


	11. Chapter 10

_**Author's note:-**_ hey guys! thanks for the reviews, favs and follows.

Bunny - Dear best friend, you are never gonna let me forget that I wrote a lemon are you?

kissasskunoichi - I am so glad that you like the fic! I will include move of the flashbacks from the upcoming chapters.

Guest- Thanks for the encouragement, I'm happy ur still reading this!

lyndyloowho - thnx, keep reading lol

Guest - yup, Sakura has parents in this fic, no siblings though. although aside from her family, she does not want to loose anyone else- be it friends or strangers ( I just think Sakura is the kind of person or should I say character who cares deeply about others and she feels practically responsible if Sas-suk went on a rampage cuz she was the one who unearthed the tomb.)

Emilydagreat - I will write an a/n when I edit ch.2-7. it might take a little time though. oh, about Sas-suk getting better so know, you would get a hint in this chapter. ;) Thanks for always leaving a review :D

 _ **Disclaimer:-**_ I do not own Naruto.

* * *

 **Chapter 10**

 **She uncovers what humane there is in him  
while he steadily breaks the walls that divide them**

* * *

"Are you certain about this, my lord." Adeni questioned her master's sudden decision to depart to the human realm abruptly. It was quite a sudden move and so unlike the usual careful and deliberate thinking her lord was accustomed to.

Before it all, she had known of her lord's plan to seize control and relinquish his claim once again; had desperately supported his ideals.

 _Could he really forget the events of the past so thusly?_ She just found it so hard to contemplate- until a few hours, the pharaoh had been scheming to uproot the current jurisdiction in the human realm and turn things the way they were before. What could have possibly changed everything?

She couldn't help but look at disapproval at the pink hair maiden sprawled asleep in her lord's grasps. It was a part of her doing she was certain of it but was her lord so in love that he had forgotten his will? She wouldn't be lying if she said she didn't like this halt in the greater turn of events.

Sas-suk flickered a lazy but stern gaze at her. "You dare question me?"

"Ofcourse not, master" Adeni bowed in submission.

"I don't have to explain my actions to you but rest assured things will fall back the way they are meant to." Sas-suk raised a hand to dismiss her, a silent understanding established between the servant and lord.

Adeni walked out of the room, all the while condescendingly berating herself for not knowing better. _Now if only Sakura could look underneath the underneath._

* * *

Sakura stirred from her sleep when she felt the sunlight fall on her face. Yawning and stretching, she restlessly looked at her surroundings.

She blinked a couple of times; rubbing her eyes to make sure they weren't playing a trick on her. Her lower lip quivered as a gasp left her mouth.

She wasn't having any illusions, she was in her house! That was her bed she had been lying in, on those creamy white walls, her family's portrait hung loosely. She was home...

"Had it all been a dream?" she breathed, relief flooding her core.

She heavily sighted in a dramatic manner. Without further ado, she jumped on her mattress. Her cheek hitting the pillow as she clung to it- breathing its scent, a serene and placid peace embedded in her.

 _What a dreading dream that was! So completely bizarre...hmmm, take note to self not to read fantasy novels- they twist up the mind._

 _Oh but come to think of it, that dream does help putting life in perspective- it pretty much made me realize that I could well, die soon. So, to sort things out and what did Leonardo dicaprio say in Titanic, something about living each day to the fullest or was it to make each day count?_

 _Either way, I would err, value my time more. Yes, imagine to be 23 and die without knowing a serious relationship? Sounds pretty sad and a little pathetic. So first thing first- I would start dating an-_

"Sakura, frankly that smile is a little disturbing."

Emerald eyes shot up in panic meeting a pair of amused onyx. She sat up straight on her bed, losing her balance and falling on her butt staring dumbstruck at the man in front of her.

She pointed an accusing finger at him, "you...you" she hyperventilated, _it wasn't a fucking dream._

Sas-suk passed her an unimpressed look, "Hnn" was she delirious or something?

He blinked innocently when she buried her head in the pillow groaning and cursing her luck like a sailor. His wife's reincarnated form, he has unravelled has quite a colourful if not derogatory vocabulary.

Women, he muses are far too complex to understand. Wasn't she the one who had been egging him on to take her back and now that she is here, she has found something else to crib about?

How annoying.

Guess some things never change.

* * *

Sakura sliced up some mangoes all the while looking murderously at the man sat comfortably on her couch holding up her TV's remote in a questionable manner. God, he looked so ridiculous in those Egyptian robes of his scrutinising at poor remote as if it was some foul object. She rolled her eyes as he managed to change the channel by clicking on some buttons.

"What kind of witchcraft is this?" she heard him murmured looking agitated.

She sighted once again realising that the pharaoh will cause a hole in her pocket. He would need clothes and food- all which she would pay for.

Here goes paying off the student loan this year...

She reassured herself that somewhere there is a god who is probably applauding her heroic and completely selfless acts to save this world from being run down by this menace of a pharaoh. Quite possibly, her good karma would help her say get a rise in salary as well.

Indeed, she must be scoring a few points up in heaven.

She brought over the plate of sandwiches and fruits on the table and took a seat next to Sas-suk on the couch simultaneously snatching the remote from him.

She changed the channel to ESPN on which a soccer match was coming.

"Why are those grown men chasing after that round object?" Sas-suk asked her looking intrigued.

"It's a game and that object is called a ball."

"Hnn, how foolish." He looked at the screen once again, disapproval shading his features. Picking up one of the grilled cheese sandwiches, he took a careful bite. _Atleast the food is acceptable, weird looking but acceptable._

Sakura got up after finishing her part of the meal, _I think I might have some of my dad's clothes piled up somewhere in the apartment._

"Sas-suk go and take a bath, I will find some clothes for you." She ordered him.

"I already have plenty of attires." He gave a haughty reply.

Sakura gritted her teeth; this guy really tested her patience. "You go out wearing those and someone will mistake you for a clown. My place, my rules-got it mister. So go on and take a bath."

He nonchalantly walked towards the bathroom idly wondering how someone of her age could be so immature.

Minutes later when she heard Sas-suk calling her from the bathroom, she forsaked any good karma and contemplated to lock him in this apartment forever.

 _He would probably get out using those weird eyes of his._

She arched an eyebrow at him when he saw him standing next to her bathroom with just a towel on that hung dangerously low on his waist.

She resisted the urge to blush and prevented her eyes from travelling south.

Focus Sakura, focus.

Though shall resist temptation

Though shall resist the devil

"What is it now?" she crossed her arms below her chest, moving her head to the side.

he pointed his thumb backwardly at the bathroom, "this is not a bathhouse, there are however a few suspicious looking objects."

Pointedly finding out that the so called suspicious looking objects were just the basin and the shower head, she proceeded to explain to him about modern bathing equipments.

"This knob here is for cold water and the one next to it, is for hot water." She touched each knob as she explained hastily.

"twist it until you get a right temperature." She glanced at him, "got it?"

He nodded, his eyes narrowed and she could detect something cynical in them.

 _Look who's out of their comfort zone now in a brand new world. Talk about the tables getting turned._

She closed the door and returned to her room to do some light cleaning. She turned on some country music.

Finally some peace.

Of course, like all good things it too didn't last for long.

"Sakura." She heard that ominous voice calling her again, breaking the quiet. She turned to face him; ready to whack him on the head till she took in his sight- and what a wet sight it was, literally.

There stood centuries old mummy strong enough to destroy this world only to be surpassed by modern bathing equipment.

Oh, the tragedy...

It should have been hilarious and really, Sakura would have laughed if only his right hand wasn't clutching onto the shower knob.

Damn pharaoh.


	12. Chapter 11

_**Author's note:-**_ hey guys! sorry about the typo's in the last chapter and thnx guest reviewer for pointing one out.

Thnx for the reviews- Skillet, TwinkletwinkleIamastar, Emilydagreat,guest, sarah.

I hope to make up with the fast updates due to the short-word count.  
 **Also, leave out a review even if it's just a word or two - It motivates me to write and bring out faster updates.**

 _ **Disclaimer:-**_ I do not own Naruto.

* * *

 **Between forlorn and destitution,**  
 **hope resurfaces**

* * *

 **Chapter 11**

"You can't sleep on the bed with me idiot!" Sakura shouted for what was perhaps the fifth time.

Really, she had tried to be a hospitable and accommodating host but this insufferable man was quite simply bent on rattling her on. It didn't contribute that her patience never was long lasting.

He never made anything easy for her, did he? Still the teeny tiny hope in her had persevered which was why she hadn't tried another assassination attempt on him. Although this did make her wonder, weren't ancient people supposed to me more peeved down and conventional but here his royal highness seems to have no discretion when he verbalized and debated to sleep next to her.

"Sas-suk you will freaking sleep on the damn couch or on the mattress, got it?" the vein in her slightly normal than average forehead throbbed with each word she emphasised.

"Do you think this reflects well on your hosting skills to have an aristocratic member of a highly acclaimed clan squelched up in such a tiny place?" he counter-attacked her order with his meaningless rebuke; royalty or not he would simply have to give in.

"The couch or the mattress?" Sakura repeated, her narrowed eyes fixed on him.

"The mattress then." He conceited after a rather furious exchange of words.

Lying on the mattress, he glanced sideways at the pinkette who had switched off the lights and was on her way to bed. He scowled thinking about how the Uchiha elders must be rolling in their graves either with laughter or shame at the once formidable 17th head of the throne of Cairo being rebuked by a tiny fragile woman. The tiny fragile woman who held his heart in the palm on her hands and didn't particularly care whether she crushed it or not.

She was a weakness...

A weakness whom he would willingly harbour for the rest of his life.

* * *

It had been a month since Kura-ankh had taken on her role as the queen of Cairo and the matriarch of the Uchiha clan. Settling down in here would be difficult considering the shoes she had to fill in. It also didn't help that she did not know much about Sas-suk. Most of the time, he was quite busy with internal matters at the imperial court and when he was at the inner palace with her, they did not converse much.

In the brief time she had discovered that he wasn't much of a speaker. This was not to say that he ignored her as well – he was attentive when she spoke to him and there was always a gentleness in his eyes.

However, she didn't know if they would ever love eachother in the truest sense of the word. Sure, he was her husband and had an entitlement on her but would there be anything more to them than just two people brought together by circumstances.

Would she always be the most appropriate person to marry or something more?

Her servant called out to guide her to the courtroom for the Min festival and she dismissed her nugatory thoughts.

It was a day of celebration at Cairo and the palace was buzzing with activities in wake of the Min festival. The tier of priests, advisers and officials of the states all were dutifully present in the courtroom. The courtesans served wine to the esteemed guests and all sorts of delicacies lay on the banquet table.

Kura-ankh smiled when she noted the entrance of the highest priest in the courtroom. _Finally, the festival would commemorate._

It had been a hectic month for both her and her agile husband. It was almost funny to see him so perturbed over festivities- he wasn't much for celebration but given his stature and role, he did his best and looked over every small detail to make sure everything ran smoothly.

The statue of Min made from lapis lazuli and gold being carried in a procession came in her view along with the sacred singers and dancers- it looked so grand and sumptuous. When they reached right next to the throne, Sas-suk got up swiftly and walked over to the procession, greeting the priest.

He ceremonially cut the first sheaf of grain to symbolize his connection between the gods, the land, and the people and offered the grain to the god in sacrifice. After the ceremony, he had presented her a single lotus flower- a small gesture for her help in the festival. It wasn't something very obscene like an ornament but the commonality of his action had spewed in her that to her, he was merely her husband first, his entitlements though big would come second.

Whatever doubts she had about their marriage precluded after that. _Lotus symbolizes unification..._

Sas-suk, she mused would not be an easy man to love or decipher..

* * *

.

When the morning rays hit on Haruno Sakura's face, she woke up realising two things.

One that her pillow had magically vanished in thin air.

Two the said fluffy pillow had been replaced with a chiseled and hard masculine chest pressed next to her left cheek in retribution added with a questionable firm hold.

When she had tried to get up, she had face faltered once again on the well defined chest due to her captor's grip on her waist. This however woke him up by knocking the wind out of those alveolar sacs.

"Sakura..." he breathed harshly, his voice a little incoherent and husky contributed to being awaked in such a manner.

Sakura was right about to bite his ears off, hadn't she made it clear to him that they won't be sleeping on the same bed! Sure, the mattress isn't very comfortable but he was just a damn free-loader.

 _I am gonna give him a piece of my mind,better yet since words don't seem to work on him throwing in a punch or two might help_. Sakura opened her mouth to scream at him but her voice died in her throat when her eyes unravelled his choice of attire or lackof.

She was positive that she had given him a T-shirt along with shorts to wear to bed but somehow during the course of night, his upper half of the clothing had disappeared.

Not that she was distracted by those prominent abs of his or anything...

Really, she wasn't.

He's not even that hot. Those onyx eyes and that spiky raven hair weren't even that remarkable, nope, absolutely not. Even his jawline wasn't that strong.

"Sakura, stop staring."

"h-huh"

"I said stop staring, for someone who wasn't very willing to sleep next to me, you are certainly being forward now." Sas-suk whispered next to her ear, his eyes indicating towards her palm that were delicately pressed against his abdomen on her own volition.

She blushed scarlet looking at her treacherous hands that had a mind of their own. How very embarrassing...

The sound of the bedroom door creaking open caused them both to glance at the intruder.

Sas-suk raised his eyebrow at the man with pale brownish hair sporting a moustache.

Sakura's eyes widened.

The man's jaw dropped open and his entire body became tense.

Sakura gulped.

"Daddy, I can explain."


	13. Chapter 12

_**Author's note:-**_ hey guys! Thanks for the reviews, follows and favs.  
Thnx to that guest reviewer about giving a suggestion to make Sakura jealous haha, I hope you like this chapter.  
Btw do you guys know about this spin off series done by Kishimoto's assistant on boruto, well,they recently launched a chapter featuring the Sasusaku family. Basically Boruto stays the night and Sasuke gets angry when he sees him falling on top of sarada lol. There's also this cute scene where Sakura asks Sasuke to fix the lamp and clean the bathtub. Also, the newest chapter of Sasuke shinden had a scene where Sarada playfully tells Sasuke there is a lipstick mark on his face and he wipes it only for Sarada to tease him that Sakura doesn't wear lipstick.

Things would be getting serious from the next chapter, this one though is just my attempt at humor.

 **Your reviews motivate me to bring out faster updates, so go on and leave a review even if it's just a word or two!**

 _ **Disclaimer:-**_ I do not own Naruto.

 **Chapter 12**

* * *

 **Jealousy often paves way to underlying feelings**

* * *

It said a lot about a man's patience when he was confronted about a sordid matter concerning his daughter and right now a scandalized sight of his precious little angel and only child on the bed with a dark handsome stranger caused Mr. Haruno to forget all civility associated in polite company.

Sakura knew he father possessed an agreeable disposition but one look at his stone hard expression with his fists clenched to his sides and nostrils flaring, He looked absolutely livid. It didn't exactly help that his pale complexion seem to be reddening attributed to bubbling anger, it was like seeing a volcano on its way to erupting lava.

Deadly

"Sakura..." her father simply said her name without a hint of emotion but being his flesh and blood, she could detect the murderous intent hidden in it.

She only hoped his thirst for blood was intended towards the male in her bed and not at her. She shakily got up from the bed throwing a nervous glance at both her father and the cause of her impending doom.

There is no way I can get out of this one right? To think, I survived an ancient mummy, broke free from another dimension only to meet my end by dearest father...He surely wouldn't consider prolicide, would he?

"Young lady, all this time you had been talking about getting yourself an apartment- was it due to this?" Kizashi glared hard at her.

"No dad, listen he is-

"and you get out from here and if I see you so much as five miles near her, I would shoot you. GET OUT!

Oh boy, she just remembered her father was an ex cop and had been successfully fending off any boys in her vicinity since teens.

 _I'm gonna die a virgin...not that I wanted Sas-suk to..._

"I can understand how this may seem indelicate but I will take full responsibility."

Sakura blinked looking bewildered at Sas-suk who had gotten off the bed and had quickly draped a shirt to cover his upper half. Wait what did he just say? Take responsibility?

Sakura's father grunted, "Is she pregrant?"

She visibly turned purple at her father's inquiry. "Dad!" she wanted to bang her head on the wall when he visibly ignored her.

"I would never disrespect her by getting her pregnant before wedlock. My clan is very traditional on such matters."

Sakura choked on thin air, _were they really having this conversation..._

"Clan ehh? What are you some aristocrats?

Sakura cut off their talk by seething in anger pointing a finger at Sas-suk, "stop it! Stop encouraging such ridiculous talks."

Her father snapped at her in turn, "First you don't call me and your mother for a month and then, I find you like this and on top of it, you won't let me ask questions to the boy you are planning to marry. Really, Sakura I expected better-

"No one is marrying anyone!" she screamed, hitting her palm on her chest and then repeating the motion on Sas-suk's in a less gentle manner, emphasising her point. "He and I are not getting married! Not now, not ever!"

Feeling incandescent she pranced out of the bedroom making her way to the balcony for some peace and quiet. This was not how she planned on starting her day, for sure.

Meanwhile, Kizashi laid a gentle pat on Sas-suk's back, "She got that fiery attitude from her mother." Humming slightly he asked him if he was serious about his daughter.

"For a very long time." Sas-suk admitted thinking a thousand years of waiting is quite a long time to be in love.

He laughed, his eyes setting in approval at the boy before him, "Don't let one rejection faze you then, my Saki is a little hot headed."

* * *

"I can't believe my dad, isn't he technically supposed to act all grouchy and give you a tough time but there he was saying goodbye to us while chiding me to be nicer to you!" She grumbled thinking how unfair life is, even your own parent could turn against you.

"Unbelievable! And you, how dare you charm my father!"

Sas-suk willed himself not to roll his eyes at her childishness; her father had conversed with him entirely during his short stay asking him about his name, what he did and all that. All the while as he answered every question with little discretion, he could feel Sakura's glare on him and the murmuring on colourful words.

"hnn" he favoured to ignore her flair for dramatics and focused watching baseball at the television. This game, he thinks has more tact than those men chasing after that ball.

"That's it! I can't be in this room anymore- I'm going out!" she got her purse and twisted the knob of her door to open it only for it to be shut closed again by Sas-suk's force. Turning around, she snarled at him caught between the door and his firm body. She used her hands to push him away, "move, you big ape."

"Where are you going?" he held her manacles and brought it easily over her head, successfully halting her movements.

Viridian eyes narrowed at the onyx counterpart.

"I don't have to report to you everything I do."

"Sakura" he breathed frustrated at her remarks. She didn't make anything easy for him did she?

"You don't own me." She hissed.

Sas-suk sighted and whispered to her softly, "I don't want to be your keeper, Sakura." He pressed his forehead against her own and Sakura could feel her knees losing their strength completely at his next whisper, "I just love you."

* * *

Sas-suk is a very manipulative man. Smothering her with those eyes...Honestly, one minute he is feeding off her rage, possibly adding fuel to the fire and the next, he is coaxing her in submission.

And so her plan to go out to buy groceries and other supplies for her house turns out as an outing with Sas-suk accompanying her. Although, his presence which usually causes a headache for her is now being a source of amusement with his reactions to modern inventions.

She had almost stopped herself from looking like a hyena howling with laughter when he thought the telephone booth was a portal to a new world or that the vending machine was cursed. Well, at the very least the walk to the convenience store had been beguiling.

She chuckled, putting eggs and milk in her basket. Her eyes widened when she saw Sas-suk carrying a load of tomatoes only to put it in her basket.

"Tomatoes..." she blinked at him only to be met with a casual shrug and a low murmur that it's healthy.

She concluded that he must really like these ripe things a lot, "Well, take a few then. It will spoil within a few days if you get that much."

He begrudgingly carried it and went to return it to the stand.

 _A pharaoh who likes tomatoes..._

Making her way over to get some toiletries, she noticed two salesgirls speaking to Sas-suk about trying a new flavour of cheese.

They sure were giggling a lot.

Ahh, that outfit certainly didn't leave a lot to the imagination.

She frowned when she saw them handing him a small chit of paper.

"Sas-suk, could you reach these for me?" she called out to him sending an unintentional lour to the two girls.

She saw one of them sigh in disappointment and murmur how the goods one are always taken, then resume to her work.

Really, how unprofessional of them to flirt in their workplace.

"Sakura, is it this one?"

People these days have no decorum really.

"Sakura."

"h-huh?"

"this one?" Sas-suk repeated.

"Ahh yes"

Sakura thanked him and then asked him about the paper that the girls handed him.

"It has some numerical figures written on them, they asked me to ring them on their mobile. What's a mobile?" he looked confused eyeing the paper in his hands.

Sakura faked a smile, "it's a useless device, oh, you won't be needing this either." She snatched the paper crushing it and throwing it away.

Sas-suk just plainly nodded at her.

"hmmm, I need some mosquito repellent, come along- it's best to keep pests away."

* * *

Sakura took a look at everything she got and decided she doesn't need anything else. Now she just needs to get this billed and she will be on her way to home.

"Sakura what's this?" oh, there he goes with his child-like curiosity, she wondered what he got for her now to decipher.

Her throat felt unusually dry she looked at the small packet in his hand. She gaped like a fish with her mouth opening and closing on reflex.

She blushed, ducking her head and grabbed it from his hands. _If she tells him, it's a prophylactic he will ask her again what that means and she refused to have a talk about contraceptives with him._

"This is a candy." _It's not like he will know she's lying to him or anything._

"You can have it then, I am not fond of sweets."

"Ahh, I don't like this brand."

"Should I get the one with reads keep her satisfied then?" he motioned towards another packet.

"No, oh god, no...my teeth ache horribly when I try those."

"Then how about-

"Let's just go home Sas-suk. I think my headache is returning."


	14. Chapter 13

**A/N:- Hey there, its been a while! I was caught up with a few things but finally I'm done! I took admission in english honours in Delhi University and I couldn't be happier, considering initially I was pretty confused about choosing between dental school or doing what I love but finallly passion won albeit it took awhile and serious contemplation. Another reason why I din't update was because my laptop broke down but finally I got a new one! Thanks for the reviews everyone and do keep them coming lol**

TwinkletwinkleI'mastar - so there's this group called Sasusakufansunited where these chapters have been posted, you just need to join the group and scroll through the pages to view it. sorry for the late reply!

groups/SasuSakuFansUnited/?multi_permalinks=471803776606304¬if_id=1530182987602011¬if_t=group_highlights

* * *

 **From the clutches of despair  
** **persecuted by Anubis himself  
** **he who was meant to be forsaken  
** **has risen once more**

* * *

A monogamous relationship wasn't big in ancient Egypt, infact Sakura ardently remembers about reading how most kings had huge harems filled with numerous beauties from all sort of exotic lands. Come to think of it, she had read an account about a ruler having more than a hundred consorts, boy they sure exuberant back then.

Peeking a glance at the man lying still on the floor with a mere pallet to act as his bedding, she tentatively regarded his relaxed form with narrowed eyes.

 _He was part of the measly five percent of pharaoh's that didn't have a flashy harem to boost of._

Why though? She callously wondered what caused him to be an exception, afterall don't men like to tail from one woman to another, sowing their so called wild oats and counting yet another notch on the belt. Had he really been unaffected by women other than-

"I can feel your glare from here, Sakura. Anything you did like to share?" Sas-suk yawned stretching his arms and twisting around to secure a more comfortable position.

She bit her lips wondering whether she should be honest about her mind's musings. She doesn't want to give him an impression that she is interested in his previous doddles when she's clearly making inquiries on the basis of acquiring scholastic knowledge,hmmm, yes indeed, that's the cause of her inquisitiveness- a mere inclination to unravel the err, matrimonial preferences dating back to 18th BC.

"why didn't you have a harem, most pharaoh's did right?" she mentally face-palmed at the lack of indifference highlighting her tone. Hearing his soft chuckle, she squinted her eyes further. _Is he gonna make fun of her now? Tease her senseless that for someone who's been enacting supercilious, she has a rather subdued partial interest concerning the past?_

"Most pharaoh's weren't also completely enamoured with their wives, I suppose." Noticing her quiet demeanour and ardent listening, he continued "I already had the one I desired, there was no room for anyone else."

Sakura found herself blushing before she realised that he wasn't particularly addressing her. _Does he even like her for who she is or its all about the memories of another life? Wait why do I even care, it hardly matters-ugghh, he is so frustrating._

Clenching her teeth, she closed her eyes and willed sleep to come to her in an effort to vacant her constantly occupied mind with thoughts of the walking calamity sharing her bedroom.

Sas-suk couldn't help the smile that played on his lips as he remembered her asking the same question so long ago. The similarities from both now and back then were something that warmed his heart and this swim of memories from the turbulent past briefly reminded him of the immeasurable moments he had spend with her- the good and the bad, ultimately all of it comes back to her.

* * *

" _You should take a concubine, my lord." Sas-suk's head resonated with the volume of Kura-ankh's voice, she had said it so easily, so thusly without a hint of emotion lacing her tone. At first, he had thought he had surely misheard her, his tired mind and hectic schedule paving path to miscommunication. After all what wife would willingly watch her husband in the arms of another woman let alone lead him to this route?_

 _Hearing her repeat the same words in a nonchalant tone, a mere why left his lips after he recovered from an initial shock._

" _Its not uncommon for kings to have a harem, building a strong line of heirs is only expected."_

" _Not uncommon but not mandatory either." His fingertips lightly turned her chin in an upward motion. Her usual expressive eyes no longer held the shimmer that he longingly searched for, they seemed impassive and utterly dull. When he saw her effort to cast her gaze downwards, he reproachingly cupped her cheeks, "I only need you-have no qualms about it."_

" _What good is a wife who can't bear children." Her voice broke into a cry at the end, her composure shaken as she used the sleeve of her attire to wipe the hot tears that escaped from her eyes. "We have been trying for more than a year and even after all this time, I-I can't-"_

" _Enough, its simply not our time yet, we shall be blessed with an offspring when the gods deem it so."_

" _You are refusing to acknowledge the truth, without fulfilling my duties I am your wife but in name."_

" _Having children is a privilege Kura not a duty, one that if written in our fates would suffice but it does not determine the course of my love for you- I love you not inspite of anything rather I simply do." He pressed a kiss to her forehead, his thumb wiping the leaking trail of tears._

" _what about your lineage?"_

" _Every line comes to an end, so does an era- is there anything in this universe that will not meet its culmination?"_

 _Kura-ankh sighted and bobbled her head in discontent, "You are taking this too lightly, my lord."_

" _Or perhaps you are taking this too seriously, we have all the time in the world."_

" _there are all sort of talks going on in the palace, I cannot bear to be the cause of pointed fingers and ill-talks regarding you."_

" _but you can bear to make me suffer?"_

 _She gasped at his enunciation "ofcourse not-_

" _then quit talking about parting from me."he cheekily pinched her button nose "no more of this foolishness."_

" _But"_

" _no more, Kura." Engaging her in a passionate kiss, he tried to dissuade all her worries._

* * *

"Do you think its wise?" Zubasa flinchingly asked his master, afterall deliberately playing with fire gets you burned. "Perhaps we should stop this barbarianism and return back to our lives."

The man spotting an orange hued concentric mask got up from his chair and walked towards Zubasa with sturdy steps. Noticing the ominous aura around him, Zubasa quickly rectified his mistake, "I meant no offense mast-"

His voice died with a blood curling scream and splashes of blood oozing out from his mouth. The servants in the vicinity merely turned their sight from the grotesque vision of their companion lying in the pool of his blood with several bullets lodged in his pitiable form.

"katon, goukakyuu no jutsu" as they heard their master's voice, they turned their eyes further from the monstrosity but they could feel what was left of Zubasa be vanquished to nothing, his entire existence wiped out clean in a matter of seconds. " from ashes to ashes." Their master harshly breathed, throwing his clenched fist to the wall adjacent to him. "this is the end for those that defy and question my authority."

Taking hold of his mask, he slowly removed him to reveal a half-deformed face, his left eye revealing the advanced form of his ancestral blood line limit, the mangekyo sharingan.

"Was that really necessary, obito?" Kakashi half- heartedly rebuked him. Turning his uncovered eye at the servants, he sent them back to open the sarcophagus lying inches in front of them at the banished land of the cursed, Ahetti fifty miles away from Cairo buried underground in the vicinity where Nile no longer flows.

Only those who had been condemned to the deepest pits of hell for their crime against the royal family were sent here, their souls tormented with vicious remittal against the wrong that was committed. It was a fate crueller than dying a hundred deaths- usually when a person dies they were guided by Anubis to the hall of the truth where after confessions admitted in the presence of Osiris, Thoth and forty two judges, they are admittedly granted salvation alas for the culprit buried in Ahetti, they are doomed to relive their most haunted memory for all eternity unless they are brought back…

Fixing his attention to the servant's effort to open the sarcophagus cemented and locked with several loops of chain, Kakashi noticed how some gaseous particles seem to be oozing out of the coffin, nodding at Obito to take a step back- he covered his face with the sleeves of his shirt as dense vapours erupted out from the sarcophagus when the workers succeeded in opening it, though the success had come at the cost of their lives as the vapours of chronic acid burned their skin to such degree that it looked paper thin and ghastly, their screams short lived and breathless and filled with torment.

Kakashi would have felt pity had he not been the one to lead them to death alongside Obito, afterall in the greater scheme of things, few spawns had to be willingly sacrificed. Generosity wasn't in his trade of cards when there was so much to do with so little time.

After waiting for a few minutes for the vapours of acid to eradicate, Obito and Kakashi took careful steps towards the coffin. Twitching his nose at the foul smell of the degraded bones, he coughed and looked at Obito who had positioned his hand in a seal, "are you gonna do this anytime soon or what?"

"patience is the key to virtue, friend." Obito murmured. "Edo tensei"

A red form of energy enveloped the sarcophagus entirely and as its radius expanded, both Kakashi and Obito were pushed back in full force and were thrown stumbling a few feet away from the periphery.

Feeling the air almost leave his lungs, Kakashi took time to recover as he struggled to get up, "did it work?" he shakily asked the raven haired male next to him who had gotten up from his previous position.

"take a look."

The red blast of energy had disappeared and Kakashi could make out the outline of a hand edging out of the sarcophagus, he anxiously saw with haggard breaths as one of the most feared and ruthless man in history crept up from his resting place, from the clutches of death itself to walk among the living once again and deliver what was left unfulfilled before.

Spiralling tomoes in baleful red were awake once again.

Uchiha Madara had been successfully revived.


	15. Chapter 14

**A/N:- short update. Hope you guys like it! Read & Review!**

* * *

 **Not all love stories are interwine in the stars  
some are darker, sadder.**

* * *

Sas-suk frowned sipping on his third cup of coffee as he lazily flicked through the channels on the television, all sorts of gibberish movies were playing with hardly any intriguing plot to decipher. Too predictable, too motionless.

He should have followed Sakura to her workplace but the woman was acting way too hysterical and daring to make a false comparison to that of a needy pup on his person. He would have been offended had he not gotten used to such theatricalities and her impudent nature.

So instead he had sent off Adeni to tail after her all the while making sure that Sakura isn't aware of her intrudence. As much as he loved her, trust wasn't a luxury he could afford.

She had been fidgeting all day, worried dreadfully about going back and reporting to her department- all the while pointing an accusatory finger at him for the commotion he had made on his first appearance. Reflecting back on his actions, he admits that it wasn't entirely necessary to wipe out the existence of her colleagues, it was more of a move to breed fear and send a message to forces that could interfere- there was hardly any personal grudge or amenity involved.

Four days had done by without a hitch and he could sense Sakura accommodate to his presence even with the occasional flair of her fiery temper. Quite feisty, that one.

While spending all this time with her was amusing, he could only wait patiently for her to trust him and ultimately give in.

 _There was nothing he did deny her, nothing he wouldn't do for her._

Once she sees eye to eye with him on certain matters, only then he could progress with his plans though till that time comes he would simply have to wait.

Breaking her apart or mending her to his will, that's not how he wants to win her over or so he hopes, though it if comes down to it, he isn't exactly above it either.

There's a thin line between fear and loyalty, defiance and obedience, love and hate- he would have her by his side whether he needs to play in levelled field or not.

Snarling at his cup, he flexes his left hand in repeated motions- a tick he picked up over time.

 _Give in kitten, give in before I need to dwell deeper to grasp you in my clutches._

 _Things could be so much simpler for the two of us….._

Sakura gulped entering the Italian marbled building, it had been almost a month since her disappearance and she wasn't sure what would entail for she as she described how she survived solely after a rampage attack by a savage mummy.

Most likely, at best they would declare her fitting to be part of mental institute with a tag of schizorphrenia attached to her title. However, if things took a turn for the worse, she would be a certified lunatic, presecuted by law for killing off her team and selling away the precious artefacts- the possibilities for dire consequences on the hands of an enamoured pharaoh hell bent on revenge were endless really.

Sighing in defeat and taking brave steps towards the cabinet of the head of her department, she knocked twice and came in biting her lips in nervousness.

"Ahh, Sakura you came back."

She blinked, _why is he being so easy going? I had been missing for awhile,…_

"Don't just stand there, take a seat." Hebiki smiled brightly flashing her his teeth.

Nodding at him, she edged closer to the chair drawing it near her.

"So how was your vacation? The department has been a mess without its best employee."

 _Va- vacation? Is that sarcasm coating his tongue?_

"Sir, the reason why I hadn't reported was because there had been an- an incident at the luxor site, Kaizashi and Ayame- everyone they-" her voice broke into a silent cry as she shakily accepted the glass of water that Hebiki passed to her, his features conjured in concern. "they are gone and its all my fault, I'm to be blamed."

Hebiki remained silent looking at her for a few seconds.

"Sakura, what are you talking about? Who are these people and weren't you on a vacation with your family, so why did you go to luxor?"

She gaped at him horrified, "these people? Sir, are you trying to look for humor in this situation or you're thinking I am making a joke, I'm talking about Ayame and Kaishi here, they worked with us for nearly three year….."

Hebiki snarled at her, a clear sign of annoyance showing on his face.

"Sakura, maybe you should extend your vacation. Perhaps you are too exhausted, there are times in our profession when things get a little too taxing. It would be wise for you to reach for professional help if needed."

Sakura's eyes widened at him in complete befuddlement, had he just imply that her mind is making up people and situations that aren't there in reality. Why, why?

Looking at his stone hard expression, she could detect cynicism in his eyes. She got up from the chair, clutching her purse in left hand and running out of his cabinet, away from the glaring logo of the archaeological department.

Her feet were moving on their own as she ran wildly, completely aimless in direction with a resolute purpose of escape in notion.

Nothing made sense anymore, perhaps it never had.  
Her boss just told her that she had never been dispatched to luxor along with a team of twelve archaeologists in company. Apparently, she was on a damn vacation for the past month.

Did he do this?

Did Sas-suk alter his memories?

What a fool she was, thinking she had outsmarted never had a chance did she…her fate was doomed since the beginning all this started, there's nothing left for her- she could be a liar, a fraud, an adversary anything that Sas-suk willed her to be. A mere puppet, that's all she is – a replica of his dead wife, a trophy for him to keep by his side in his ambition for power….

Her legs ached with each numbing step. Everything hurt, her head, her chest. Even her heart seemed to be contracting painfully, her lungs giving in and blotches of black appeared in her vision until a car came in just near her, almost taking her off guard and knocking her over.

Her knees collapsed and she fell in a helpless position on the ground. As two men rushed out of the car, she naively thought they were helping her until one of them brought a chloroform scented handkerchief near her nostrils.

A small shriek of stop was all that escaped her mouth until her body completely failed her and her vision faded to black.

The kick start of the engine of the car was the last thing she heard.


	16. Chapter 15

**Author's note:-** Hey guys! its been a while but here's an update. This chapter primarily focuses on Sasusaku's past interaction as I wanted to reveal more about Sas-suk's and Kura-ankh's dynamics.

 **Disclaimer:-** I do not own Naruto!

* * *

 **Chapter 15**

 **Between haggard breaths and beating heart,**  
 **beauty ran from the very love she professed**  
 **and so, absconded in mirth,**  
 **he awaits to reunite.**

* * *

 _She is running haphazardly, dashing through the rows of trees and bushes- an occasional branch hits against her slinging elbows and kness grazing past the skin, there's a tingling pain attributed to tightening of her chest as her heart beats faster, adrenaline pumping and her lungs hold onto harsh intake of breaths to keep her going. Her feets are aching as well, swollen with pebbles and grit dugging into them as she pranced._

 _Everything hurts but her silly frivolous heart, the most._

 _She loves him_

 _She loves him_

 _Oh,god, does she love him…..and so she must leave, for his sake._

 _There's no point in staying, she's the reason why they both are breaking. He in his virtue and she, in her woe._

 _He had lost so much, he grieved for his family still and the void that they left could never be fulfilled. He would always have half an heart. Kura-ankh knew his work kept him occupied, helped him to forget…_

 _It gave him a sense of belonging, it made him an Uchiha. She had often noticed how when he sat on the throne, his fingertips unconsciously caressed the fabric as if he was reminiscing about the old times, as if he asked his father whether he was the ruler he though he did be. All of this Sas-suk didn't have to tell her, she could just feel it from the look in his eyes. They would become more gentle, relaxed and sadder, all at once. Like a paradox webbed with a myriad of contradicting opposing feelings dimmed with silence and melancholy._

 _He already had so much to deal with, how could she add to the burden? How could she take away the happiness he would emit when he conceives an heir._

 _She can't give him that….  
she's barren, the midwife confirmed it- there's no hope left. The chances of her conceiving a child are bleak, figuratively nil._

 _The ache in her legs is more prominent now, the sun has completely settled in the horizon- the sky turning dark grey. She stops in her track, somewhere in the forest miles and miles away from the kingdom with the moon as her sole speactator. Fluttering her eyelids shut, she slides against the bark of the tree and collapses, drawing her knees closer._

 _She had ran like a coward, so afraid of hearing him say he would take up Tunakak, the princess of Arenti as his second wife. She was so afraid of hearing him admit her failure as a wife, acknowledge her incompetence…_

 _She had walked in when he was talking to king of Arenti about his daughter's suitability to be the queen of Cairo. The flower vase that she had carried to put in his study dropped on the floor, shattering as she saw Tunakak leaning on Sas-suk….._

 _Everything was blurry after that, she remembered him calling out her name while she ran- him chasing after her, ordering the guards to close down the gates but she was too quick in her action, taking a chariot, she drove off herself while evading his tail of guards and successfully deceiving them by jumping off from the chariot into the nearby forested area of Nile and hiding in between the bushes._

 _She doesn't know what she will do next, but returning back is not an option. It would kill her from the inside to see Sas-suk in the arms of another and going back to her father is neither feasiable nor progressive. He would be furious, it could lead to a possible war between the two states and so many innocent lives would be at stake by her selfishness. She can't do that, she just can't-_

" _Look, what I have found."_

 _A hoarse rough voice cuts off her trail of thoughts as she looks at a sturdy build man oozing of alcohol and sweat, eyeing her lecheoriously. Gritting her teeth, an impending sense of danger sets her adrenaline pumping- she breaks off in a run but her legs are still shaky, he easily grasps her wrist and throws her on the ground harshly. She drags herself across her elbows helplessly, lips quivering- she knows what he's trying to do and it disgusts her._

" _that wasn't nice, why were you running away like that?" he licks his lips and straddles down on her._

" _Stop, Stop, Stop….I'm your queen, Stop." She's weeping and scratching his face, trying to kick him off her but he just laughs and nudges her knees apart. He's pulling her robes, hysterically whispering that she's just some dumb courtesan._

 _He licks at her earlobe and she wails, death would be better than this….._

 _She closes her eyes as she begs him to get off her, to stop this, she would give him her ornaments so stop, please stop._

 _She feels his weight being lifted off her and she opens her leaking eyes to see Sas-suk, his eyes a baleful red with spirillaling tomoes furious- he activates amaretsu and within seconds, just ashes of the vile man is left._

 _He turns his head to her and for some morbid reason, she's ashamed, her gaze is timid against his ignited one._

 _She's in a state of comatose when he pulls her to him, clasping her -breathing in her vanilla scent._

" _You fool, you fool." How strange that he was holding in a loving embrace while his words emitted his rage. "How dare you? What were you thinking?" he knots his fingers in her hair pulling her to look him straight in the eyes. "Just what were you thinking? A few minutes of delay, if I hadn't found you, dammit, dammit!" he's screaming at her, his knuckles blanching white under his merciless grip._

" _Just let me go." Her whisper is light but he catches it. A bitter laugh escapes his throat as he mocks against the nape of her neck, "Oh, is that what you want? So this can happen again?" his lips traces her jawline, as he continues, "Am I not enough? Did you like his touch?"_

 _She slaps his face, her palm hurting just as bad as a pink hue develops on Sas-suk's cheek from her impact. He looks at her blankly- void of any emotion, there's no fury, disappointment or grimace in his stare and maybe that hurts the most._

 _So he's finally indifferent to her as well, huh?_

 _There's a silence between them, he continues to stare at her while she looks everywhere but at him. His gaze is both suffocating and accusing. Unable to handle this, she turns away sharply continuing her path._

" _Running away again?"_

 _She ignores his probing words and doesn't look back._

" _I will always find you."_

 _She pretends she's deaf to it all even as those words tingle her heart._

" _Everyone I love ends up leaving me."_

 _She's curses their fate, their cards were unfairly dealt with,_

" _I thought you would be an exception so tell me kura, what's so despicable about me?"_

 _She chokes on the lump forming in her throat, she's the despicable one here._

" _You know why I'm leaving Sas-suk, I cant give you what you want, what you deserve." She sighs defeated and tired, "I am barren."_

" _I am not what you need. Tanatum would be more suitable for you in this aspect." She smiles at him, "I just want the best for you." Even if it doesn't include me..._

" _You must have given it a thought…" she continues, willing her voice not to crack in between, she doesn't want to appear weak in front of him " when I entered your study, you were talking with the king of adeni and holding her…." A single tear escapes from her eye and she curses herself, "its for the best really….."_

 _she's shocked when she hears his genuine laughter echoing. Gasping at his insipid behaviour, she feels her mirth diminish as fury takes over. How dare he make light of her feelings?_

 _He calms himself down, suddenly looking amused, "All this because you were jealous?"_

 _She throws a fist at him again, hissing like a wildcat. He deflects her attack easily and catches hold of her waist. Chuckling, he murmurs, "Idiot, I wasn't holding her rather attempting to sway off her advances and secondly, had you entered at the right time you would have seen me telling king that I am not interested in a second marriage with his daughter or with anyone else for the matter."_

 _His look turns more serious and stoic as he speaks next, "about your worries about us not being able to conceive was something that bothered me too, so I had someone look into the matter. Turns out Keshi, had been paying a maid of yours to sip a concation of herb that prevented you from conceiving."_

 _she gasps horrified," why would Keshi do that? She's always been so kind to me, why?"_

" _she's a part of the branch family, the only way her son would have a chance to come in power would be if the main family wipes out completely which is easily feasible with us dead."_

 _She clutches Sas-suk's shoulder, "All this time, I thought….." suddenly, everything is so crystal clear to her- keshi's insistence of afternoon tea times and bringing over her favourite sweets._

" _Don't worry, I exiled her for treachery, she will never step a foot near this land." Sas-suk hushes her tears._

" _I have hurt you so much…." In her ignorance, she had tried to do anything to break them apart. She kisses him, pleading an unspoken apology and tastes his forgiveness._

* * *

"I can feel it, he's back too." Madara smirks cracking his knuckles. "and ironically, he found her. What would I give to see the look in his eyes as I drain the life out her again."

Last time, he had overlooked Sas-suk's ocular prowess in battle and was surpassed with the rinnegan aiding Sas-suk but not again. The previous mistakes would not be repeated, Afterall, he has what can put him on a greater ground than Sas-suk this time.

Placing a hand on his right eye, he chuckles. _Rinnegan being just one of them._

"Obito, Kakashi let me test the abilities of your Akatsuki."


	17. Chapter 16

**_Aurthor's Note:- Hey everyone! Hope you like this short update (God, it's always short isn't it?) Either way, do leave a review (especially the new readers) even if its just a word or two!_**

* * *

 **Ch.16**

 _ **When my nights become darker than usual  
with not even the moon as accomplice.  
I think of you as not the one who didn't stay  
but the one who still lingers,  
with a presence so aching that it  
wreaks all the constellations in me,  
Sparkling dim starlight in the galaxy of memories  
where a meteor shower drizzles, never really ceasing reminding me how you left a blackhole in my milky way.**_

* * *

Two puppets simultaneously attacked Madara back and forth, one of them drawing out his sword and+ whipping out at his head which he easily dodged. The other fired open a beam of poisonous deadly chakra in an arrayed form.

For a moment it seemed that Uchiha Madara had been caught off guard but then a mere piece of log replaced his position.

Retracting his puppet strings, Sasori of the red sand prepared for another onslaught, calling out 10 new puppets that engaged in furious battle against Madara.

"Not bad, boy but not good enough either." Madara activated his Mangekyou Sharingan and dispelled the puppets till they were reduced to a pitiful motionless state. Appearing in front of the puppeteer, he knocked him up with a sharp jab to his jaw.

Smirking to the onlookers, he cracked his knuckles- taunting them, " Come all out at me at once."

In the blink of an eye, he heard Deidara let out a pissed Katsu from his mouth and a cascade of bombs erupted from each step he took.

Hidan, the Janin-worshipper not being one to miss an opportunity chased behind Madara, swinging his triple bladed scythe at him to slash him. Kakuzu exchanged a silent nod with his partner and dispatched arrays of flinging kunai's at the dodging man while Kisame, grinning maniacally in heat of the battle sent out a chakra attack with his sword aiming directionally at Madara.

Calling out Katon no jutsu, Madara breathed out a huge fireball cannon out of his lungs at his opponents which was dispelled by Kisame's water jutsu.

Madara chuckled seeing their beaten forms taking haggard breaths.

"I guess we are done here." He declared and turned sideways.

Tshhhh

The sound of cloth tearing with the metallic beat of the sword just barely made its way before he turned swiftly grabbing at the sharp edge of the sword just barely. A second late and it would have ripped out at his vitals, Madara noted grudgingly.

Taking a look at the onyx eyed boy whose presence he wasn't able to validate before, he hummed in amusement. So there is someone like him as well.

"A battle isn't over until all the members have played out their part." The boy calmly stated, a firm look litting up his eyes, "don't underestimate me."

He delivered a swift kick right at Madara's chest pushing him backwards, ready for a standoff.

His eyes turned crimson as blood with blades spiralling.

"Mangekyou" Madara muttered, "so our clan's lineage did survive"

"Enough talk."

"Tsukuyomi" the boy continued, " You will be stabbed to death for the next 72 hours."

Madara struggled to get out of the jutsu, to think that he of all people were caught off guard.

"Kai." He spitted bitterly not liking that a mere boy got the best of him. Deciding to get more serious, he called out Amaterasu, using the blistering flames as a distraction to grab a hold of his attacker's hair, knocking his skull at the marble floor, the intensity of the attack shattering crevices in its impact.

It shouldn't have come to that, he asserted eyeing his newly acquainted kin who was struggling to get up.

"What's your name, boy?"

A ghost of a smile escaped Madara's notice as he was greeted passively.

"Itachi"

"It would be a waste not to hone your skills."

* * *

Sas-suk eyed her weary form with contemplation, he opened the fringe, taking a bottle of chill water and passing it onto her.

Sakura gulped it quickly, rolling her eyes when Sas-suk muttered an easy under his breath.

"Took you long enough." Sas-suk said, taking a seat next to her- flickering through the channels with the remote.

"Uhh, work is always long" Sakura joked, trying to hide the uneasiness in her movements.

Behave normally, be normal- she told herself while unconciouslly clutching the fabric of her couch. So much had happened, so much will continue to happen…

Its saddening honestly, how a person's life- how her life changed so drastically in a couple of days. Everything is so complicated and interweaved with a paradox that she fights to diverge between reality and imagination. She certainly misses the days when she knew how exactly things were gonna turn out- how her day will start and end, most of all she misses the feeling of being fine…

"Is that so?" Sas-suk hummed in an eerie voice. His tone causing a slight shiver down Sakura's spine.

"Ahh, yeah…" She casted her gaze downward, relax, what are you worrying about? He doesn't know. He wasn't there…..Just breathe.

"I am pretty tired, I will sleep early today- so uhh, just fix yourself a sandwich" Sakura spoke and got up, leaving Sas-suk watch her retired form with a blank expression.

Gripping the plastic water-bottle in his hand, he emptied his frustration on it.

How annoying

She doesn't learn, does she?

All his patience, all of it for this- this betrayal. Perhaps, had she stabbed him on her own accord by herself he would have taken it in a better light. He had never anticipated her to join forces with someone- to conspire and manipulate…

No, this was unforgivable.

He has tried his best to make her see from his perspective, to help her understand but she's seemingly relentless and so crassly pathetic to pay heed to any semblance of feelings he has.

He chuckles bitterly, since neither loyalty nor love seems to be winning her over he ought to let go of those tactics.

Uchiha men weren't much for sweet love confessions either, they were territorial and consuming and right now, the predator in him decided to call out the chase.

He's had enough, coaxing her into submission has proven to be fruitless and so has reminding her of their life together.

She just doesn't fucking care, does she?

She really would be the death of him

Again

He controls a maniacal laughter from building up, the fates must be laughing at his predicament. Here, he is trying to revert things back while the woman he loves is set out to vanquish him to dust again….

Though, he wouldn't let things conclude the way they did before.

No, he hasn't come back to meet the same end glaring at him.

He will turn the wheels of fate in his approbation.

Its time the wolf in him pounced straight at his feeble invading prey.


	18. Chapter 17

**A/N:-** Hey there! This chapter has been quite delayed. The thing is that my grandpa(bless his soul) passed away last year and for sometime I just didn't feel like writing. I guess when the people you love suddenly disappear from your life, it can be a little difficult to carry out even the things that you love because at times, grief can be like this intangible prison that's all over you. It took me awhile to return back to writing but I promise that I'm gonna get better with the chapters and obviously, quicker with the updates.

 **DISCRAIMER:-** I do not own Naruto

* * *

 **Chapter** **17**

 _ **The subduer of death sleeps  
**_ _ **whilst webs of forgery weave**_

* * *

" _She is still unconscious."_

" _Wake her up already"_

" _Enough Ino, we don't want her to panic."_

 _Sakura clasped her eyes back shut, she caught glimses of what seemed to be a group of about four or five people. She recollected all the things that happened today._

 _Her boss believed she was on some 'holiday', how upset and utterly defeated she felt against Sas-suk's unearthly powers. She had run so hard, her feet compelling her to get out of this entire mess. She felt drained though- both emotionally and physically. Black dots began to cloud her vision. These people who seemingly appeared out of nowhere kidnapped her._

 _Could things get any worse for her?_

 _She controlled her laboured breaths- compelling herself to take softer inhales. Hyperventilating won't get me anywhere…._

 _Okay, I just need to collect my wits and be calm- yes there is no need to panic_

 _Oh god, who am I kidding? This situation calls for panicking…..why, why is it always me? Sakura knew she wasn't a despicable person so why are the furies dead set on driving her into an early grave. Trouble doesn't seem to be only following her but very possibly, co-living with her. Now, she needs to escape her preparators._

 _Just what kind of people are they? Just a bunch of random thugs, harassing people to make easy money. No, they wouldn't have come out of black cars if that was the case. Those type hardly had money to buy meals let alone a Maybach Landaulet._

 _So that rules out the possibility of 'money desperate thugs' as her kidnappers. Ironically, the thugs would have been her safest bet of getting out as safely as possible in this type of situation._

 _She flinched slightly, wondering if they could be top notch gangsters – the black suit and car definitely point to this possibility._

 _Sakura gulped, he was right, Sas-suk was right. She shouldn't have gone out today._

 _Perhaps pretending to be asleep and then running for her life as soon as they leave an opening for her is the best solution._

 _But what if they are armed? They could just shoot blankly at her. She pressed her dry lips, maybe she needs to rethink her escaping strategy._

 _Suddenly something wet touched her porcelain cheecks, in reflex and fright- she snapped open her eyes wide, a salivating sight of a huge canine with its tongue hanging out of its mouth, dripping with saliva greeted her._

 _She shrieked, "Get off of me."_

" _Well that woke her up- good job Akamaru." A man with red triangular tattoos on both sides of his cheek snickered at her._

 _Once she caught her breath, Sakura hissed at him, drawing her fingers into tight clenched fists, unconsciously forgetting about her position as a hostage_

" _Don't be a jerk dog boy." A pretty blonde with the most piercing pair of blue eyes walked towards Sakura with a smile on her face._

" _Who are you?" Sakura didn't know whether her question was directed at the blonde or all of them at once._

" _This probably isn't the best way for making introductions but in retrospect, I have spoken to you before."_

 _Sakura blinked, "Excuse me?"_

" _I am Ino- we communicated via telepathy remember." Ino offered her hand in gesture._

" _Great, now pinkie probably thinks your off your head but then again, it's not exactly wrong."_

" _Shup up Kiba." Ino seethed, turning her head back to glare at him._

" _Bureau of supernatural defence…" Sakura muttered, realization drawing to her. she ran her fingers through her hair as a whiff of utter relief settled in the pit of her stomach._

" _Took you guys long enough."_

* * *

2:47 am

Sakura wearily glanced away from the clock at her nightstand to draw her gaze around Sas-suk's sleeping form.

Lying still on her mattress, breathing so lightly with a placid expression on his face, he looks completely human. His features soft and boyish instead of stern and aristocratic.

But he's not some human boy.

He is Sas-suk Uchiha.

The 17th heir of the noble Uchiha clan. The pharaoh of Cairo in its best. Someone who defeated death himself, the one who surpasses Seth.

Yes, he is not some boy Sakura knows. She's seen a miniscule of what he can do with her own eyes – those eyes – a deadly combination of the rinnegan and sharingan in contrasting hue of ridges of purple with the bladed mangekyou.

What terrifies her the most though is that he holds strength not in some brutish way rather he's agile, swift with razor cutting sharpness. A strategic planner and a wargod- all in one.

A ruler through and through.

Sas-suk has seen time move backward and forward. He's waited for the right time to come to make his move. Sakura speculates that all this time, she has been playing into Sas-suk's hands right from the start. She never had a chance because he never gave her one.

How could he possibly? He has witnessed the fall of his own regime and knew better than most that trust shouldn't be some easy commodity to give.

He has seen his fall once and he's learned.

He's better, harsher and crueller.

"But he's not invulnerable", Naruto's words resurface in her mind. He's powerful and strong and so very deadly but not invulnerable.

Yet in all meticulous calculations, he forgot to take a key event in role. In all his moves and countermoves he forgot to take into consideration t _he probability of chance._ The unpredictability it can bring.

 _He's a master of death so he cant be killed but he can be made powerless and contained_.

She had blinked in confusion at Naruto's eerie statement. Afterall, how can you be immortal and vulnerable at the same time?

" The Greek gods were immortal – the best example Cronus and yet he along with others was defeated and ostracize by his own children. Immorality doesn't make you invisible." Naruto smirked, his whiskers twitching.

Sakura lipped her dry lips and pressed them in a thin line, his explanation didn't impress her. heck, it didn't even convince her, "but the child of the gods were at par with them, the playing field was levelled. Can you take Sas-suk head on?"

"No." Naruto replied almost a little too quickly for Sakura's liking. His chirpy tone didn't help either. She huffed out a sigh. _Baka, does he not realize the severity of this situation- the possible danger._

"Let me finish." His smile dropped down "We can't just subdue him but one falter is all we need."

Inwardly Sakura wondered Ha, why would Sas-suk falter from his potentially murderous rampage.

As if reading her thoughts, Naruto said, "because of you."

She wasn't shocked at his reply, the bureau has afterall been monitoring over her so they knew what she….what she meant to Sas-suk.

She gripped the seams of her blanket thighter, hugging it closer to her. It all comes down to her at the end. Taking a deep breath, she lifts herself from her bed. Quietly, opening the cabinet of her nightstand she picks up the nickel dagger with a ivory ruby located in its pommel.

"If you aim it just a few inches above his adomen – his chakra will disintegrate. He will be powerless." Naruto said, handing the dagger to her. " I understand if you refuse to do it though – we are putting you in a very dangerous position."

Sakura closed her eyes, flashes of Ayame and her colleagues morbid faces returning to her.

" I will do it."

There's a guilty puddle pooling in her abdomen but she ignores it as she tightens her clutch over the dagger. A part of her whispers that he loves her, the sanity in her dashes out the thought at once.

He's danger to everyone around her.

Just a danger.

She pretends that a lone tear didn't drop from her left cheek.


	19. Chapter 18

**A/N -** Hey there! I know it's been an awfully long time since I last updated TPB but I so hope that some of you are still reading this.  
It took me a while but I have finally processed how I want this story to go. The updates are definitely going to be more regular from now on. I have gained back my inspiration to write again. Also some of you had PM me and I am so sorry for not replying back, I am kinda lazy when it comes  
to logging in on ffnet so if any of you want to talk to me regarding anything (update, anime etc) follow me on **Instagram- wilted_cherryblossom**. I have started posting poems and all on this account so it will kinda mean a lot if you guys support me. :D

I hope you like this chapter! Thanks for reading! (Warning - its super short, don't hate me)

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 **Find a talisman to protect you against the dark**  
 **This wretched night bleeds to devour love**

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She's an inch apart from thrusting the dagger into his heart, an inch apart to see him wheeze for breath when he ruthlessly captures her wrist and tugs her forward causing her to topple towards him. Her chest presses against his and her cheeks scrap against his sharp jaw line.

She's failed.

Undiluted fear seizes her, holding her fretfully still and captive in his arms. She urges herself to move away from him, to detangle her limbs and finish the job and yet her body remains oddly static. The silence makes her aware of the tempo of her mounting heartbeat. She can feel her body growing warmer and more tense as each passing second feels like an eternity in itself. There's no adrenaline rushing into her veins though, no biochemical mechanism urging her to rescue herself. Instead, her fingers unclench their grasp on the dagger letting it fall with a small thump.

That thump is the sole sound that resounds in her bedroom. The incidental silence is maddening. Unable to take the tension any longer, she glances at the face of the man who she was about to destroy.

Sas-suk's face is effectively blank giving her nothing to read. She had expected his eyes to flash with rage, scorn, most of all with betrayal but they are just dead and hardened.

He lets go of her wrists and she pushes herself back attempting to separate from him when his hands settle on her waist preventing her to make any further movements.

Sakura lets out a choked breath that she has unconsciously been holding back.

"Where did you get the dagger of Anuk from?" Sas-suk's ironically calm voice sends shivers down her spine submerging her with alarm. Instead of answering him, she fruitlessly bites her lower lip.

 _There is absolutely nothing I can do now._

Her heart is accelerating at an inhuman pace, the blood in her arteries feels like it has molted to burning lead.

 _Like a fly caught in a spider's web._

 _That is what her predicament is._

"Where did you get it from Sakura?" he stresses on the syllables of her name as if trying to wake her up from a dream.

"Who gave it to you?" he tugs on the rubber band of her ponytail letting her hair fall in soft waves across shoulders. A cruel smirk melts into his features as he runs his fingers across the strands of her hair. Pure rage burns inside her core – How dare he toy with her with these mocking endearing gestures?

She throws punches at him, hissing like a wild cat – cursing at him for all the life shriveled in her, unleashing all the fury and fear dormant in her. She hits him until her knuckles hurt and turn to a gruesome shade of blue-green.

"Why…." She draws out her question half caught between sobbing and gasping for air. Her tearful eyes critically examine the damage she's done. Sas-suk's cheeks are bruised and he's bleeding from the corner of his lip. She seethes her teeth and clutches the collars of his shirt, her hands shaking.

"Why don't you fight back? Why are you letting me hurt you?" her voice comes out as a rough whisper. Her eyes widen when she feels him press the hilt of the blade into her hand pressing the blade harder against his skin causing her to gasp as she feels the blade sink into his flesh drawing blood.

"Go ahead, take the dagger and strike me" Sas-suk held his gaze firmly against hers.

"You think I don't have it in me to harm you?" She glared at him in defiance. "You seek destruction and war…thousands will be killed…I can't let you do that, I can't…" Sakura spat out in vehemence but her voice quivered with hesitation to her own ears.

"Let your sense of justice prevail then, you won't be getting another chance." He pushed dagger-held hand deeper into his skin.

"Go on. Do it" he was challenging her, mocking her but all Sakura could feel was the warmth of his blood – the wetness dripping down onto her knuckles. It made her numb till her bones.

"DO IT." Sas-suk shouted.

Instead of pushing the blade deeper, Sakura hastily drove out the dagger. They stood still, eyes locked.

"You couldn't do it, could you? How long will you continue to deny what you feel for me?", Sas-suk places his right hand right on her heart. "You feel for me too. Stop Denying. Stop pretending. Stop fighting it back."

Slowly, he closed in on her tilting his head to the side.

"Give in to me, Sakura." he speaks and so she does.

Everything seemed to occur at such a rapid pace that she could hardly keep up. Just a second ago, she had the dagger pressed to his chest and now their lips are fiercely interlocked. The world around them evaporates to naught.

Sakura could feel the rasp of his breath on her skin, his hands sliding and running down her curves, tightening reflexively. With her eyes closed, her body sparked and stuttered. His fingers tangled themselves on her hair, mouth dropping to the nape of her neck. Trembling under his touch, her eyes glazed with reckless fire shimmering in them.

His tongue parted her lips, slipping into her mouth deepening the kiss. She digs her fists on his hair pulling him closer. Without warning, he lifts her up and swaps their positions. Now she was the one lying down on the mattress completely uninhibited and undone by his touch.

His lips roughly meet her again drawing a prolonged throaty moan. Breaking the kiss, he lifts her nightdress as she raises her hands to ease its removal leaving her exposed under his gaze.

He stared at her with inscrutable look. She stared back at him, her eyes flickering at his shadowy eyes, kissable lips and down to his chiseled chest. She lifts her hands to the front of his shorts, resting at the waistband. He looks at her patiently until she curls her fingers into the band and pulls them down to his hips letting him push it off with his feet and then kicking them off to the floor where he had previously discarded her nightdress.

"Do you want this?"

Sakura closed her eyes and then pulls him closer to her naked form.

"I want you."


End file.
